Kingdom Come
by rain9939
Summary: It's the 16th century Victorian era and the King and Queen of Mistell are looking for a future husband for their one and only daughter, a lively girl whose just about to turn 17. But the Prince they have in mind is no angel, he has a dark side to him she's not sure she wants to experience. RileyxLucas AU
1. Chapter 1

"Yes, mother." I bow my head obediently. Sitting in her velvet chair, she smiles at me.

"Alright, that is all." Hearing that, my mouth automatically breaks in to a grin.

I turn on my heels, ready to race out of the room.

"I'll be at the garden!" I yell.

"Not too fast child!" Mother yells back, although I can't think why, because I don't lower my speed at all.

I slam the door open and rush past a few servants who are busy preparing for tomorrow's ball. I accidently knock a tray to the ground, and call out an apology to Trixie, our servant.

The hallway divides into two. When I was younger, I would find my way around by the paintings.

The left one was of a quite stout man with five chins protruding from his neck, and the riht one was of my Aunt Celia, a haughty lady with jewels glittering her teeth.

Let's see. Guests would be arriving soon and I do not want to meet them. At least, not yet. So the back-door it is then.

I run past the portrait of Aunt Celia, past the tapestries and long red curtains, finally arriving at a smaller staircase the servants used to get around.

Down the stairs was the kitchen. And right now, it was filled to the brim with ladies in long brown dresses and quite a few men as well.

A servant girl, Cassia I think her name is, smiles at me. I smile back.

The back-door opens into a narrow alleyway, which is used as a second-hand dump for pretty much everything. I try to avoid the mud as I make my way towards the trees which lead to the garden.

Key word being tried. By the time I'm out of there, the hem of my dress is painted an ugly shade of brown.

It's almost autumn, but the grass is still green and the trees have not started shedding their leaves yet.

I almost trip on a stray twig once or twice, but luckily I avoid falling. I'm clumsy like that.

Down the hill, where the flowers start to grow, mother has paved the area and built a fountain in the middle. An archway is placed before it.

The archway, covered with wild twines and ivy, is a mass of pillar elaborately constructed by Mills, a man who works for my parents. Well, everybody here works for my parents, I was just stating...

Never mind.

There she is with her back turned towards me, humming an old song we used to sing when we were children. Her long blonde locks are down today, wrapped in red and silver ribbons.

She hears me approaching and turns towards me. "You're late." She says, but smiles nonetheless.

"I'm sorry." I reply. "Mother had me preparing for the ball."

She nods. "The ball." She says. I sit down on a chair in front of the one she's sitting on, next to a little circular table. She has a half completed flower headdress in her hand. "You know your parents expect you to find a husband tomorrow."

I roll my eyes. "Not you too, Maya, please."

She laughs. "It's true."

I lean forward and drop my voice. "At least I'm not the one secretly running around with Joshua."

She gasps and attacks me with a stray flower. It falls to my lap and I pick it up.

It's almost five in the afternoon. I look up at the sky, to see the sun hidden beneath several layers of clouds. They're not dark, so their might not be a chance of rain after all.

'How I wish I had your life." I sigh.

She frowns. "You seriously don't mean that."

I look up at her. She's really beautiful, why she loves Joshua I would never know.

That guy is the reincarnation of devil himself.

Just last week, he and my brother, the devil's advocate, smeared flower dye all over my new dress. And it was one I actually liked, so you could see my dilemma here.

But yes, Joshua was head-over-heels in love with Maya. Maya was my best -and maybe only- friend. She was born to one of my mother's servants, although we never treated her like one. My father often joked about having two wonderful princesses as daughters.

"Miss Riley!" Somebody screeched from on top of the hill. The voice sounded suspiciously like Trixie's.

I groan. She's running toward us at alarming speed. "King Arden is here" She pants. "Your father has requested your presence at once."

I look at Maya, not the least bit fazed. King Arden was the ruler of a neighbouring kingdom, a tall man with a jolly laugh and lively eyes. He and my father were old friends.

"If I have to." I sigh and get up. Trixie gasps. "Miss! Your dress!"

I look down upon it. I shrug. Apart from the mud, it looks presentable.

"I'll get her ready in time." Maya stands up too and I throw her a grateful look. "The throne room, yes?" She asks.

Trixie nods before walking away.

"Come on." Maya says to me. We follow Trixie up into the castle till the kitchen, where Maya's mother arrives.

"Hello." She says to us. "You two having fun?"

"Not anymore." I sulk. Maya nudges me.

"Maya I need your help setting for dinner." Her mother says to her.

"But I'm helping Riley get ready to--"

"It's okay." I cut her off. "Go, I'll be fine."

Maya's mother smiles gratefully at me. When they leave, I make my way out of the he kitchen and I'm just about to go up the stairs when I notice my brother -his name is August, but I love calling him Auggie. He gets so mad - sulking.

"Hey!" I walk up to him. "What's wrong?"

He sees me and looks up. "Joshua took Midnight out for a ride today, and injured her."

I throw him a look. That boy and his horse.

But how dare Joshua hurt Midnight. She was the sweetest, prettiest thing ever.

My brows furrowing, I say "I will talk to Joshua."

Talk indeed. I clench my fists.

"Don't hurt him too hard." He says. "I'm going to see Midnight at the stables. Tell father that?"

I nod. I walk out into the main hallway, looking for Joshua. If he's not at the stables, then he is going to be in his room.

That little-- ugh! What was his problem? Why was he riding Midnight in the first place? He has his own horse, stupid Apple who was just as arrogant as him.

And do not even get me started on why he named his horse Apple.

I've just turned around the corner when I bump into someone and go flailing back. I lose my balance for a minute, but manage not to fall.

"Idiot!" I hiss to whoever who was blind enough to come walking down so blindly.

Holding my hand to my forehead, I look up. The guy I quite literally just bumped into is very handsome - complete with a sharp jawline and perfect light hair. Curse my wrong timing.

He chuckles softly.

"In pretty sure it was your fault." He says in a deep drawl. I frown at him.

"Tell me Princess, do you always roll around in mud like that?"

I grit my teeth as I look down at my dress. Belive it or not, I've had worse days.

He must be one of my father's guests for tomorrow. Many were staying in the castle for this week's festival.

"Listen you little--"

"Riley." I hear my voice from a person behind me. I whip my head around to find Joshua standing there with folded arms.

"You'll have to excuse her manners. She's not been brought up in a pig sty, that I can assure you, even though it may be hard to believe."

Why did everyone love making fun of me so much?

Joshua walks up to the guy and holds out his hand. "I'm Joshua." He says, "And this is Riley."

The guy grins as he bows. "Lucas." He says.

Huh, Lucas. What a humble name for an egotistical guy.

"You better clean up before going to the throne room." Joshua says. For a minute I contemplate hitting him for what he did to Midnight, but then I find myself waiting for the perfect minute.

I catch Lucas's eye as I turn around the bend. He winks.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! New story :) I personally love medieval/historical fantasies and I think it's what one needs to read from time to time. Okay two things:

1\. For those of you that are asking, this story is set in the late middle ages.. so think of Reign, Romeo and Juliet, the Victorian era, The Young Elites... etc. Although it's fiction, so the exact date doesn't matter. Atleast to me.

2\. I imagine Gennifer Goodwin as Lucas's mom because of this one post I saw on Instagram long ago about this conversation between her and Lucas.. never mind. Oh and speaking of Instagram,follow me lol '@rain9939'

Don't forget to review :)

I get ready as quick as I can. I literally pick the first thing I see, which consists of a light blue dress with long sleeves and puffy shoulders. I put on my flower headdress that I adorn so much- mainly because Maya made it for me - and slip on my sandals.

I make my way to the throne room. The gates are open, and I hear my father's booming laughter.

The throne room is the most elaborate room in the castle. It's bigger than all the other rooms, with a ceiling shaped like a dome. It's decorated with several tapestries and long red curtains that have been embroidered in gold.

"Ah, Riley." My father says when I come in. I spot him standing in the centre with a man with long dark hair wearing a velvet coat. On his arm is a woman with midnight black hair and the kindest smile I've ever seen.

King Arden and Queen Annabelle of Valaire.

I smile at the two of them and bow. Annabelle smiles back.

"You've grown." She winks at me. "My my, what a beautiful lady you've become."

I grin up at her as I make my way to them.

My mother shushes her. "You give her too much credit." She says. Annabelle laughs as I roll my eyes.

Besides the Kings and Queens of two neighbouring kingdoms, the other people in the room consist of Joshua, a couple of my father's advisors and three guests from The Valaire Court.

"Mother, I found the--" a male voice booms from the doorway but the guy stops as soon as he sees me.

Ugh. Just my luck.

Since there's only two ladies in the room... did he just call Annabelle his mother?

"Riley." King Arden says to me. "Meet my son, Lucas."

Oh.

Ohh.

Wait what?!

I knew the king had a son but I wasn't sure of the name, mainly because I had never seen him in my life.

Anyways, he wasn't even the King's real son. Arden had picked him off the streets after his real mother had been killed in a carriage accident.

Lucas, apparently the Crown Prince of Valaire, bows at me. I curtsy through gritted teeth.

"A pleasure to meet you, Your Highness." He says to me. Lord, why does his voice sound like honey? And those gray eyes...

Stop it, Riley.

Mother clears her throat. She sets her diamond tiara straight on her head and her mouth twitches upwards.

"Lucas, I hope you would be be joining us in the festivities this week"

"Of course, Your Grace." He replies. Now I've gotten a chance to look at him properly, I realize his built is strong, lean muscle. Perhaps from riding, or fencing. He's tall - about half a foot taller than me.

Mother nods. She's about the say something when the clock strikes seven and a loud gong rushes through the room.

"Dinner time." My father announces. "Won't you join us?" He asks Arden.

"Of course."

As everybody proceeds to the dining hall, I make my way towards the stables, grabbing a lantern and my cloak on the way. I try to be discrete, avoiding everybody in my way.

I see Maya at the kitchen.

"Where are you off to?" She asks, wiping her wet hands on her apron.

"To see Midnight." I reply.

Maya's mouth twitches. "I heard she got injured." She says. "I'll join you."

She asks me to wait as she gets dinner ready for us - it consists of a loaf of bread, jam, cooked vegetables in a pot of soup and a few other dishes the cooks whipped up.

She places them in a picnic basket and loops that around her arm. "Let's go." She says.

I put on my cloak - it's blood red with a silver clasp in the shape of Mistell's seal - and pull the hood over my head. Maya's cloak is similar, only in blue.

The stables are fifteen minutes from the back entrance of the castle, North-East from the gardens that lead into the lush green fields of the valleys. Beyond that is the forest, and to the other side is the village square.

Our footsteps echo softly on the pavement until we reach the garden. A slight mist hangs in the air and the moon - a sleek crescent - hangs up as the only source of light except the stars that glitter through the vast emptiness, like beacons of hope.

Halfway through the garden, I think I hear something behind me. I quickly wip my head around as my eyes widen.

Not a soul in sight.

"What's wrong?" Maya asks.

"Nothing." I whisper, shaking my head. Stupid wind.

We continue until we reach the stables. This morning's hay is still lying on the ground, and the smell in the stables is surprisingly not as pungent as I expected it to be.

In fact, it's warm and toasty in here.

I take off my cloak as we make our way towards Midnight. There she is, sitting comfortably with my little brother stroking her mane.

"How is she?" Maya says to him. I notice that her left leg is bandaged, bit she still looks so beautiful with dark skin and a silky soft mane. Her eyes seem so intelligent, so wise.

"She's okay." He says in a low voice as he feeds her an apple and runs his left hand through her mane lovingly.

And even though my baby brother can be a huge pain sometimes, it's disheartening to see him so sad like that.

I pout as I make space besides him and sit down. I hug him, letting him rest his head on my shoulder.

He rolls his eyes but doesn't push my away. Maya sits down besides us and opens the basket.

"Dinner." She smiles a little. She hands out the bread first. I smear butter and jam all over it and take a bite.

It's so delicious I can't help stuffing my face.

Midnight nuzzles her nose in his hair. He laughs.

I hear footsteps again - loud, disheveled. This time, the others hear it too.

"See? She doesn't look that bad!" Joshua explains.

Maya snorts and throws a piece of bread at him. He holds his hands up in surrender.

He makes his way towards us and kneels before Maya.

"Princess." He smirks. Maya snorts again.

"Troll." She wrinkles her nose.

"You love me anyways." He grins as he takes her hand in his and kisses it.

"That I do." She mumbles.

I turn my head towards my brother, whose busy playing with Midnight.

"She'll be fine in a couple of days." I t him. His head snaps towards me.

"You really think so?" He asks.

I nod. He feeds Midnight another apple think hat he must have got from the supply barrels at the edge of the stables.

"Are you going to compete later this week?" Maya asks Joshua, resting her head on his shoulder. He hums in response.shew talking about the jousting tournament in the arena that's taking place three days from now.

"Good." She mumbles. "I'm betting for the other guy."

I hear Joshua snicker. He holds Maya in his arms for the longest time, until her eyes finally begin to close.

I think even Auggie has begun to grow tired. I shake him gently by the shoulder.

"I think we should be getting back." I whisper to him. He nods in agreement and stands up slowly. I follow.

Maya's already half asleep on Joshua's shoulder. I don't need to wake her up, knowing he will take care of her.

My baby brother though, does need help. He says goodbye to Midnight and follows me out, and the last thing I hear is Joshua telling Maya he loves her, and nobody can take that away from them.

I bite my lip. Soon he will become king. A couple of months in fact. How does he plan on telling everyone he plans to marry Maya?

I sigh. There's no use of pondering over this right now. I grab Auggie's hand and lead him through the field.

But even now, I can't help shake the cold feeling that someone's watching me.

And that alone, causes fear and dread to rise up in my stomach.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for the lovely reviews 3 :) I love you guys.

Now onto the chapter :

This week's function list, prepared by yours truly:

Today - The Village Fair and Fireworks

Tomorrow - The Ball

The day after that - The Jousting Tournament and the King's New Declaration.

These were the three annual days that Mistell seemed at it's brightest and most excited.

This year's guest was obviously King Arden and his family. Mistell and Valaire had been allies for decades, after they had united just as the Age of Depression was coming to an end.

The Age of Depression was the name given to almost fifteen years of suffering, the last three being the worst. Mistell was falling apart because of the droughts and famine, not to mention attacks from the North.

My grandfather who was King at the time, signed a treaty with Valaire, an alliance that turned into a close friendship amongst the two kingdoms.

It was nice seeing Arden and my father sitting in the Great Hall at breakfast, talking to each other like women at the marketplace.

Not a great example, but at least you get the picture.

Meanwhile, I was busy digging into my bread. Our cook was amazing, and I couldn't get enough of her food.

At the other side of the table, Annabella was talking to my mother and the Duchess, Ella, about increasing trade opportunities.

So naturally, I wasn't laying attention. At all.

Poor Maya. Too bad she couldn't engage in this delighting conversation because she was sleeping in her nice, comfortable bed probably dreaming about the ocean or something...

How I wish I was with her right now.

Infront of me, I see my brother who has started laughing at a joke Lucas has just said. Even Joshua has cracked a smile.

Lucas catches my eye and smiles. And you know what he does next? He winks!

That egotistical, arrogant-- ugh! But that wink though...He looks so cute.

Why was I even thinking of him?

I bite into another piece, trying hard not to kick him under the table. He finishes his glass of juice and turns to me.

I, very much surprised, stare at him in surprise.

"Are you going to be at the fair, Princess?" He asks.

"Obviously." I snort, not in a conceited way though. I meant 'like you didn't already know'

He grins. "She's blunt too." He says. He raises his glass and takes another sip. His piercing gray eyes don't leave mine for a second. "I guess I'll see you there then."

He sure will.

The fair was called the 'village' fair for a reason. It was held in the main square place next to the harbour, since the fireworks were lit from the ships.

I take one look around, grin, and throw my fan away.

Quite literally.

My mom frowns at me, but I shrug. There are three royal carriages coming in from the castle. The journey is around an hour and it was safe to say I got really bored.

Now however, my eyes widen and I grab Maya's hand, trying to pull her into the crowd.

She gives me one long, tiring look and rolls her eyes.

"Too many people." She says.

I wrinkle my nose. "Maya." I say as calmly as I can, even though I'm really excited.

"Fine." She huffs. "Where to first?"

I look around. The village square is decorated very beautifully, with streamers and banners and colourful lights -they haven't been lit yet- and stalls of nearly anything from food to clothes.

There are magicians and dancers performing at different corners, and big crowds of people watching them with fascinated eyes.

The noise is way too loud and, joined by the music, it's almost too much for my ears to handle.

But who care right now?

I grab Maya's hand and lead her to the first act I see, which is a magician trying to get out of shackles. He grins his blue -painted mouth and gestures towards his friend the jester, who is juggling with apples.

At the end of the act, people clap and throw their money into his hat. When the magician sees me, he smiles and bows. I smile back and place some money is his silver rimmed hat.

"I'm going to find Joshua." Maya tells me. We're on our way to one of the foodstalls, debating on what to eat.

I turn around and look for Joshua. Nope, no sign of him. I do, however, see a man with a long back coat, staring at me when he thinks I'm not looking.

Which was strange, because if he wanted to say hi, he could just come over.

"Where is he?" I ask her.

"He says he would be by the docks." Says Maya. She suddenly smiles when she sees something behind me.

"A certain prince is coming this waym" she says in a sing - song voice.

My head whips around only to find Lucas, coming toward us and looking impeccably handsome.

"Hello, princess." He greets.

"Riley will do." I tell him as I shrug. I turn around to look for Maya, but she's long gone to search for Joshua.

Guess I'm struck with this devil for the rest of the day.

Unless I choose to run right now.


	4. Chapter 4

Turns out, it's hard to run in a crowd of people who are staring at you with widened eyes and awed smiles.

It's even harder when a really handsome young man - but arrogant at that - has his hand clasped tight around your arm.

"Oh no you don't." He says, shaking his head. "You're going to help me find my way around here."

I turn around slowly and narrow my eyes. "There are the stalls." I said, pointing to them. "That's the food area, and that," I point to the left near the boats. "Are the docks." I say, trying to yank my arm from his grasp.

Why couldn't he leave me alone?

"Very funny." He says, rolling his eyes. They grow serious for a minute. "I was hoping we could talk."

"We're talking right now." I grit out.

He shakes his head and looks at me, and every ounce of silliness and amusement is gone from them. "In private, perhaps."

He gestures towards the River, and I follow his gaze.

"Fine." I huff out.

He nods then makes his way out of the crowd with me at his side. We make our way through the stoned pavement that winds around the stoned buildings that are built in charming little rows with balcony railings that played host to ivy and flowered creepers.

The harbour is empty right now, since everyone is at the fair. Later on, a few of the villagers are going to set up the fireworks.

"What did you want to talk about?" I ask him. I realize how close we are -are shoulders are almost touching - and place some distance between us.

"I heard my father say the Northern Tribes will soon infiltrate Mistell's borders."

I frown. Politics is not something I'm good at, but I know a threat when I see one.

Or in this case, hear of one.

"That's... news to me." I answer with a slow exhale of breath.

"But that got me thinking - how would they know the exact time Mistell is at its weakest?" He asked.

"Trade merchants." I shrug.

He bites his lip. He's tall and I have to look up at him, and Lord, how much I hate doing that.

"I think they've got spies at the castle." He says.

My eyes widen. Spies at the Castle?!

But then again, it could be possible.

Which means the King is in trouble. "Oh God, we have to warn my father!" I almost shriek.

"Joshua already did." He says calmly. It takes me more than a minute to process what he's saying and for my heart rate to go back to normal again.

What did the Northern Tribes want? We had nothing except for...

Right. Money.

I kick a rock, mentally ignoring the little voice in my head that says I'm supposed to keep my dress clean though it hasn't been ruined - yet.

"Why warn me?" I ask him.

"You seem like the easiest target." He says. I gasp and hit his arm.

That little--

"Hey, I was only warning you!" He defends. "And besides, I just wanted to spend a few minutes alone with you."

Yes. And apparently tell me I was going to die.

"Really?" I ask.

"Nope."

Ugh. I wasn't even going to dignify that with an answer.

My minds turn to the castle. Who would want to get rid of my father? The servants..? No, they had been with our family for years. Plus, what would they get out of it?

The guests? Most of them were father's own relatives.

Greedy, but family.

I shouldn't be worrying about this anyways. It's just his stupid game to try and mess with my mind.

Somehow or the other, I was going to get him back.

It was almost midnight, and we were back at the Castle. The fireworks ended a long time ago and they were spectacular. After dinner, everyone receded to their rooms.

I don't know what I was doing up.

I'm crazy half the time, and I'm not even ashamed to admit it.

So I get up, put on my slippers, light a lantern and head to Maya's room. Only, I don't make it, because on the way, I hear mother and father in the hallway, talking in hushed tones.

I can't help hiding around the corner and listening.

"Are our children really safe anymore?" Mother is angry, and I don't know why.

Father is trying to calm her down. "Joshua's coronation is in a few months. Our daughter is going to get married by then, and August is way too young to join politics. Don't worry, by then, I'll double the guards at the gates and on look - out, and increase security and the borders and trade routes."

My breathing goes heavy. So something was going on.

Not to mention the fact that they expected me to get MARRIED. Did they really expect that?

"It's not August I'm worried about." My mom says. "It's our daughter. That girl has such a loud mouth, and no manners whatsoever -"

"Look at it this way." Says my father. "If she's ever attacked, she will know how to defend herself."

It's pretty dark, so I can't make out their expressions "No!" I hear her say. "She needs to be protected at all times, at least until after the wedding."

Right. I hadn't even chosen a husband yet and they were already talking about my wedding.

Parents.

It's no like I will become immune after marriage anyways. What was their problem?

"I'm going to talk to her tomorrow after the ball." Says my mother. "Ask her to choose a suitor."

"What about Maya?" Asks Father. "She's of age too."

"I think Maya already has her eyes on someone."

She knew?

"Who?"

Mother shrugs. "I'm don't know that. These girls and their secrets and all their giggling. Gives me a headache."

Hey! We do not giggle. Atleast Maya doesn't.

My parents recede to their room and I go back to mine, not wanting to talk to Maya anymore.

Sooner or later, Maya and Joshua will have to tell everybody. And that day is going to involve a lot of tears, heartache and hatred.

Yes, my parents loved Maya, but not so much as to make her future queen. But I hoped they understand. I really did.

I hoped Maya would have an amazing time at the ball tomorrow. She deserved it.

I take a deep breath as I climb under the covers on my bed.

I would have to choose a suitor tomorrow, for my parents' sake.

I just hoped they hadn't chosen one for me already.


	5. Chapter 5

So here is the deal. I don't like balls. I hate them in fact.

And I tend to stay away or avoid the things I don't like for as long as possible.

Take today for example. While everyone was getting the ballroom ready, I was at the library.

It was after lunch, and since everybody was doing their own thing, I decided they had no use of me, and wandered out of the main building to the left wing, where my grandfather had built a gigantic library.

Seriously it even had a swirling staircase.

I guess I had inherited my love of books from him. I wasn't one of those people who sat down and read for copious amounts of time -although I wish I was - but I definitely did read.

Today I chose political romance. It seems to define my situation anyways.

Mother has not talked to me about any suitors - yet - but I was sure I was going to get a lecture whilst we were getting ready for the ball.

That's why I tend to stay away from her.

I had just claimed a good book and made myself comfortable when the door opened and heavy footsteps resulted in Lucas towering over me.

"What are you reading?" He asks casually.

"Midnight Virtues." It wasn't as dirty as the name made it sound, I swear.

In fact, it was one of my favourites.

Lucas pulls out a chair and sits next to me. "What is it about?"

I frown. Why was he so interested?

"The son of a wealthy duke. He falls in love with a girl from the village which is frowned upon in society, and well..."

"Well...?" He asks. When I don't reply, he asks, "They both die, don't they?"

Biting my lip, I nod my head. He purses his lips. "Typical" he says.

Yesterday's coversation replays in my head.

With Lucas.

With my parents.

"You were right." I tell him. "About the Northern attacks."

He nods. "I'm never wrong. The sooner you learn to accept that, the better."

Oh, the amount of arrogance oozing out of him was incredible.

It made me want to puke.

"The ball." I try to change the topic. "Are you coming?"

His chair scrapes as he pushes himself back and gets up."Dancing is not my forté." He shrugs as he turns to leave. "But for you, Princess, of course."

He walks out of the door.

What the hell just happened?

"Riley, darling, do me a favour." My mother says. Oh no, here we go.

"If you have somebody in mind, please tell me."

I pretend to not know what she's talking about. "Somebody?" I ask. "Whatever for?" The maid tugs on my hear, making me squeal a little. Another adresses to the hem of my teal dress, which opens in the front to reveal a layer of white lace under it.

It's very pretty if I do say so myself.

"Suitors." She says calmly. "Do you have anybody in mind?"

I shrug. I want to clench my fists and run out of the room, but I try to take her attention away from me.

"Did any ask for my hand?"

She nods. "Quite a few." She then proceeds to name a few. "Eloris Kinely." No, he was thirty. Gross. "The Duke of Heavensbourough." Nope. He had the manners of a pig.

"Sir Nathaniel." Okay that was a good choice. But I knew he loved somebody else. Why he was asking for my hand, I didn't know.

Only the last one caught my attention. "And a preposition from King Arden himself."

"Doesn't he already have a wife?" I frown. Besides me, a maid giggles.

"No." Mother says in her sharp tongue. "It's on behalf of Lucas."

Oh.

Wait what?

He wanted me to marry Lucas?

Ah, no way. The prince was too egotistical for his own good.

"Think about it." She finishes. "You have until tomorrow."

She might as well have said right now. How was I supposed to decide until tomorrow?

Great. Which means I had one shot. The Royal Ball.

After we're done getting ready - Maya is in a navy blue ball gown with her hair down and mother is in her elaborate red dress adorned with jewels- we go to the ballroom.

The guards make way for us as the door opens. Music plays, soft and melodious, and quite a few people are there, looking their best.

Maya smiles as she spots Joshua at a corner with a rose in his hand. He walks up to her and gives it to her, and I notice her cheeks turn the slightest shade of pink.

My father is in the middle of the crowd with a glass of wine in his hand, talking to King Arden.

Queen Anabella makes her way to me and smiles. "You look lovely darling."

I thank her as I curtsy. "Are you enjoying yourself, Your Highness?" I ask her.

"Very, my dear. Mistell's events are always wonderful."

She's dressed in a flowy white gown and her long dark hair is spilled over her shoulders. She's the one that looks lovely, not me.

I nod, and she tells me I should come visit her in Valaire sometime, and that is pretty much how our conversation goes.

Once she leaves, I spot Sir Nathaniel coming towards me. He looks as good as ever - tall, amazing physique because of all his training, and a mop of light brown hair - but what made him so approachable was because he was genuinely nice.

"Hey." He grins. "Thanks for rejecting my proposal."

I frown. What?

I only found out about it a half hour ago. And I rejected him mentally. So unless he's a witch or something...

I cross out that idea.

"Uh, you're welcome?" I say, shifting my weight from one foot to the next.

The music changes, and people begin to find partners to dance with.

"Your father told mine how he didn't want you married to me." He starts. I look across the room towards my father, who has no begun dancing with mother. "And I'm not complaining, since now I can be with Eliza and all."

My head whips towards him. Father rejected his proposal without telling me? He didn't even tell mother.

"Fancy a dance?" He asks.

I nod as he takes my hand and leads to the middle of the ballroom.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Lucas, who is standing to my right in the crowd, talking to someone. He catches my gaze and his eyes seem to pierce into mine.

I place my hand on Nate's shoulder, and his finds my waist as we begin dancing.

"How's Eliza?" I ask. "And why didn't she come?"

"She couldn't." He says.

"Why?" I ask. He twirls me around with the beat just like all the other couples.

His mouth twists upwards as he leans into my ear. "She's pregnant." He whispers.

My eyes widen a little and I think my mouth hangs open. "What?!" I yell, maybe a little too loud but nobody seems to notice.

He nods as he smiles. "Congratulations, Nate!" I say."Wait, does your father know?"

Nate's father didn't always agree with him. Especially on the Eliza situation. Their parents didn't get along well. But these days things were calmer, and I prayed that Nate and Eliza would get to experience the love they deserved.

"I'm planning to tell him tomorrow, after I win the joust."

"Always so sure, aren't you?"

He twirls me again twice. "Do you doubt it?"

I laugh. "Not for a second."

The music comes to a slow stop and Nate goes to find one of his friends.

I turn around to find Lucas coming towards me.

"May I?" He asks.

I bite my lip and hesitantly nod my head. The music starts up again, and he places his hand on my waist.

"Who was that?" He asks. Maybe he's curious, I really don't know.

"An old friend." I tell him. "Why are you jealous?" Then boldly, I add, "I heard of your proposal, you know."

He sways me along to the beat and twirls me in a quarter turn. I see a rush of colours consisting of ball gowns all around me, bright and bedazzled yet so elegant.

"It want my preposal." He rolls his eyes. "My father just wants to see me settled, that's all."

I tilt my head. Somehow I have a hard time believing that.

"And besides, don't worry, I would never marry you."

I frown. "Why not?" Surely I wasn't too ugly. Okay I got that that he was really handsome and all , but did he have to go around making girls feel insecure like that.

"You're too naive." He says. Oh, deja vu right there.

I narrow my eyes. "It wasn't like I was begging you to marry me either." I snap.

"Good, then we have an understanding." He smiles. He dips me suddenly and I'm falling into his gray eyes.

They contain more than just color though. A lifetime's worth of emotions, so dark and so soulful, framed by long lashes and straight brows with a slight arch two-thirdway through.

And then I'm back up on my feet again and realize whose eyes I was just staring into.

I don't discover that nearly everyone in the room has been watching us until AFTER the dance.

When we come to halt, all eyes are on us. People clap and I do a very embarrassing curtsy. Even my father is smiling as he looks at King Arden.

Great.

I just had the best luck, didn't I?


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I always thought Lucas's eyes were gray, lol. MY ENTIRE LIFE HAS BEEN A LIE.

And besides, I'm too lazy to go back and change it. I think gray suits him. There's a lot of soul in gray. Maybe because it's the colour of the moon?

Tell me which one you guys prefer. Green or gray.

I'll change his eye colour accordingly.

Oh and guys, ignore the spelling errors. It's probably my creepy autocorrect.

The castle buzzed with excitement as noon approached closer.

The blacksmiths were happy - they were getting paid more than they had the entire year - and the Knights and King's men all nervous on who might win.

It's the day of the jousting tournament.

By lunch, everyone has already made bets - the King and Queen included.

The horses are groomed, weapons and armour polished, and the arena set.

The event is taking place in one of Mistell's bigger villages. The venue has been the same for almost fifteen years.

Atleast I don't have to wear a fancy dress this time.

Ha. That's what I thought.

Just as we were leaving, my mother cast me a disapproving look. "Go change." She says.

And nobody argues with the Queen.

So I huff all the way to my room and take out one of my fancier -not really - dresses and put in on. I don't forget my cloak.

I hurry back to the main gates but guess what?

I miss my carriage.

I just have the best luck, don't I?

The only two carriages remaining is one for Joshua, Nathaniel and Maya, and the other one for Lucas.

I sigh. Maybe I can walk. No, that would take too long.

So I approach Lucas in the nicest way possible.

"Hello." I smile

He looks at me and furrows his brows. He's not strapped in all that armour yet, but still looks intimidating.

"What do you want?" He grunts.

"Can't I be nice to you because I feel like it?" I ask. I look around. Maybe the others can squeeze me into their carriage.

I turn to the right. Oh lord, I'm too late. I hear the sound of wheels creaking, and know that their carriage had already left.

"You're too selfish." He states.

I cross my arms."You called me naive just yesterday!"

He shifts his weight from his right foot to his left. "Let me explain," he says, like he knows my entire life history.

"You pretend to be brave and stubborn, but you're really not. What you are is naive, and you're someone who puts their family first even though you act like you don't."

I uncross my arms and let them fall to my side. A scowl etches itself on my face. "And how would you know all that?" I ask him.

"I'm an observer." He pretends to yawn. "Now what did you want?"

"A ride." I grit out.

He opens the carriage door. It's white and dainty, led by one of my favourite horses. "Get in."

He steps aside and I climb up the step. I take my seat next to the little window, thankful for the comfortable material the seat is made out of.

I look over to Lucas. His thoughts are somewhere else, and he looks really focused.

Lord, did that boy have bipolar issues.

No one says another word as we ride towards the arena. I take this time to look out the window. Dark clouds have settled in, and even though the windows are closed, I pull the hood of my cloak over my head.

We arrive just as the tournament is starting. The arena is built in a circle, with rows of seats around it. The entrance is a little pit at the bottom of the first row of steps.

"Good luck." I say to him as I exit the carriage.

"Whatever." He murmurs. See? Issues.

I turn around and look for my parents. There they are, sitting with King Arden and his wife on lavishly decorated thrones.

I clear my throat as I make my way towards them. Mother look up at my attire, and give me an approving nod.

I take my seat besides her.

A loud horn signals the first fight. Two horses run out into the middle of the arena from opposite ends as it begins.

The riders raise their swords, and I recognize one to be Nathaniel.

I look around for Eliza, his soon-to-be (hopefully) betrothed. Since the arena is full it takes me some time, but I finally locate her.

She's sitting next to Trixie, her wild copper curls dancing in the wind as she cheer for Nate. She's pregnant, but you don't really realize it unless you know, because she isn't showing very much just yet.

She catches my eye and waves. I wave back and grin.

"Where's Maya?" Mother screams over the cheers that the crows bursts into as Nate delivers a blow to the other rider.

I'm about to say 'probably with Joshua,' but remember she doesn't know about them. Yet.

"Somewhere or the other." I murmur.

With one last blow, Nate wins and it's time for the next contestants.

The horn blows again, and this time it's Lucas and one of Nate's friends. I don't quite remember his name.

The wind blows, cooler and heavier than before and I pull my cloak around me tighter. I look up at the sky and there's not a trace of sunlight left.

The two horses approach each other in all their ferocity. Both the riders raise their weapons and one in quick second, the fight begins.

King Arden, who's sitting on Father's left side begins cheering wildly with the rest of the crowd.

Lucas backs his horse a little, then pulls on it's reigns. The horse slams into the other one, and Lucas delivers a heart-shattering blow.

His opponent, however, is not so easily fazed.

He gets back up, shakes it off and raises his sword in a weak attempt.

Lucas has got him though. I discover that his tactics are actually quite good. In a matter of seconds, his opponent's sword clanks to the ground next to his shivering body, and Lucas has wone.

You know the strange thing? I didn't see one once of mercy out there. It was like Lucas was hungry for his blood.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in.

To my right, on the steps, a girl wraps her arms around herself as the wind gets colder. She's from the village, and her dress is really thin.

Lucas is right. I'm naive. Maybe that's why I take off my cloak and give it to her.

My dress is way too heavy anyways. It will protect me. And I don't think the wind can get any colder.

The girl takes the cloak with widened eyes. She's around my height, tall for her age. But then again, I was short, so what did I know?

She does a startled curtsy and thanks me.

"No problem." I smile at her.

My attention goes back to the scene unfolding in front of my eyes.

Thirty minutes later, the next round starts with eight remaining, including Lucas - obviously - and Joshua. The other six were Nate, two village boys and three knights.

Thunder cracks above, and I pull on my mother's sleeve like a cranky toddler. "It's about to rain." I tell her.

She looks at me blankly. "I have eyes." She says. "I'm not blind."

Well then.

"Are you sure the event should continue? Wouldn't the horses slip on mud?"

I could practically hear her thoughts. Silly daughter, scared for the horses. Perhaps the rain will only cause to make the game more exiting.

Right. Because animals deserved to be treated for what they are.

I purse my lips as I look around. A lot of unfamiliar faces catch my eye, and lesser familiar ones. One of them is Maya, who comes from behind me and takes a seat to my left.

"What did I miss?" She asks. I refrain from asking her where she was because I already know the answer to that question.

"Nothing much." I reply. The second round starts and the first two opponents are Joshua and Nate.

Even nature seems to appreciate the event. Rain drums down in big piercing drops just as round two starts. A flash of lightning illuminates the sky, followed by a crack of thunder.

The horses run towards the centre and I hear the clanking of their swords. In moments, my skin turns wet.

Suddenly, a shout erupts from the crowd. Momentarily dazed, I turn towards them. More screams.

What the heck was going on?

My breathing quickens as another horn erupts through the air like a piercing scream. This was not the same horn. It was vulgar, more animalistic.

The whole scene turns to chaos into a cacaphony as riders emerge inside the arena, dressed in all black leaving no part of their body except their hands unseen.

The first five of them gallop straight toward the crowd. One of them, a tall, muscly one slams straight into Nate's horse and the impact knocks him off his horse.

Eliza screams and runs towards him.

One of the riders makes his way towards me. In the crowd, I lose my parents and Maya.

But it's not me he's after.

With a guttaral cry, he impales his weapon into the girl I gave my cloak to.

She falls to the ground, a pool of blood forming beneath her.

I scream.

The man turns his back towards me, signalling one of the others.

I fall on my knees, clamping my hands over my ears. I squeeze my eyes shut and pray for it all to go away.

Unconscious tears fall down my face. Blazing hot compared to the cold rain.

I don't know how long I stay there. The screams of the villagers don't stop. They get worse and worse until I can't differentiate them from mine and I'm a mess on the floor.

Someone puts their hand on my arm and lefts me up. I scream as loud as I can until I'm slammed to somebody's chest.

"Hey, it's only me." The person murmurs.

Lucas.

I finally will my eyes to open. "What's happening?" I whisper.

Miraculously through all the chaos, he hears me. "I don't know." He replies. "We've got to get you to safety, Princess."

He turns to the right and yells to somebody. I spot Joshua making his way towards us.

"Are you alright?" He asks.

"Maya?!" I yell.

"She's safe." Comes his reply. "You need to go! Now!" His voice has has a dier sense of urgency to it.

Lucas grabs my hand and pulls me away from the arena to where the horses are kept.

"No! What about my parents!" I yell.

"The King and Queen have the best guards at their disposal. Plus, those men weren't looking for them."

Weren't looking for them? Then why were they here?

Lucas pulls the reign of one his horses. He climbs up then gives me his hand.

I take it gratefully and get on the horse. I don't realize I'm crying until I press the back of my hand to my face and it comes back wet.

Lucas pulls on the reigns once again and directs the horse towards the back exit.

And before I know it, we're making our way from the arena back to the castle.


	7. Chapter 7

I hate change. I know I used the word 'hate' a lot, but this time I really mean it.

I really, really hate change.

More than anything in the world.

I've grown up in the castle all my life, had the same people to talk to, had the same rules to obey.

Maybe that's why I'm so hesitant to get married. I don't want to because I don't want anything to change just yet.

But I know the exact moment where my life split in half and I was thrust across the worse side.

And perhaps, just perhaps, life after that moment would never be the same ever again.

We're waiting in the throne room. I'm lacing nervously back and forth, my hair and dress still drenched. Joshua has Maya wrapped around his arms and Lucas is leaning against the wall.

"They're going to be fine." Says Lucas.

"How do you know that?!" I scream at him. I don't mean to, it's just - I'm worried. A lot.

Suddenly, the door bursts open and the first thing I see are my parents, rushing towards me. I run up to them and my father envelops me in his arms.

"Thank God you're safe." His voice holds a sense of urgency to it and I don't like it at all.

Perhaps because I know why.

I should be dead right now. Those men came to kill me, not the other girl.

My breathing is really heavy at this point as I lean against my mother's shoulder. She holds me as my dad rushes to the large oak table on one side of the room, followed by a couple of guards.

"Your Highness," Lucas calls to him. "Any sign of my parents?"

My father nods. "They're coming into the castle from the tunnels. We don't know if the main entrance is safe, as of an hour ago."

That means the Northern tribes are here. And they're attacking.

"How many dead?" My father calls.

"Seven, Your Highness." A guard replies.

"And Sir Nathaniel?"

"Severely injured." The guard 's voice drops.

My heart rate quickens. No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

This cannot be happening.

Not right now.

Not ever.

Father looks at me with with a knowing stare and I feel like there's something he's not telling me.

With a wave of his hand, he beckons Joshua and Lucas to join him.

He bends over the table as he unrolls a piece of parchment.

I hurry over to where he's at work, and see him marking an X towards the right of the paper.

At the sound of footsteps, we all turn around.

It's the King and Queen of Valaire.

"Lucas!" The queen cries. "I'm so glad you're safe, darling!"

There's mud over her expensive dress, and her hair is a mess. One of her sleeves is torn. And the King is in no great shape either.

"Would you still agree with the plan?" My father asks him.

King Arden's gaze shifts to me. He looks back at father and nods.

"How about right now?"

King Arden replies, "I don't see any better time."

What the heck was going on?

Right, forget that. I didn't even want to know. Every time I closed my eyes, all I saw was that horrible man piercing the knife through the girl.

It was beginning to drive me crazy.

Father turns back to the paper. "Soldiers here." He says, marking two areas towards the left. "Nothing we can't handle, but we don't want any surprise attacks."

He clears his throat and turns to me. In fact, everyone in the room is now staring at me. "We need to get you to safety."

I look around. "What did you have in mine?" I said, scared of what the outcome would be.

But I think I already knew the answer.

The only safe place right now was Valaire.

I shake my head as he says the name. "I need to stay here." I say determinately.

"No, you don't." My father argues. "They were looking for you, darling. It's a miracle you made it out alive today."

I shake my head furiously. "I'm not going!" I scream.

My father gives me the saddest smile I've ever seen. "It's for your own safety. Just for a couple of weeks, until everything is in control." He looks at mother, then turns to me again. "Joshua and Lucas will escort you. The King and Queen will follow in a few hours."

I look around and frown. Everybody already knows.

"Maya." I whisper through widened eyes. "Please, I want to stay here."

Maya comes to me and wraps her arms around me in a hug. "I'm sorry." She says. "But it's only for a few weeks, I promise."

"Come." Says Josh, eyeing the carefully planned route that father has built for us.

I bite my lip hard, drawing out blood. "Mother." I croak out in a final attempt.

"Baby." She cooes as she brushes a hand through my hair. "I'm so sorry."

She reaches around her neck and pulls out the locket that she always wears, tying it around my neck instead.

Joshua is already pulling on my arm. With one final tug, he breaks me free and pulls me towards the door. Lucas follows.

In a daze, we run towards the tunnels. They start through one of the sitting rooms, a door that doubles as a staircase both up and down.

Down we go.

The tunnels are slippery and muddy. They're wet arena they stink like dead rats, but I don't complain.

I slip once or twice, because not even the lamp in one of the guard's hands is enough to light the way.

On top of that, the thunder. That's what's the most scariest. That and the constant pounding of the rain above us.

I frown when the guards take a left. "The stables are the other way." I say.

"No." Joshua shakes his head. "We're going towards the docks."

The docks? Why in the world would--?

Oh.

We weren't going to Valaire on horseback.

We were going to Valaire via the sea.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: No, Lucas is not PMSing, there's a good reason for his behavior, I promise.

The fact that he's nice one minute and rude the next does not make him cliché, because in this particular fanfiction, he has an actual reason.

Hehe, thanks for the reviews by the way. Love you all :) happy reading ~

The ship is rocking.

The ship is actually rocking.

Joshua passes me a small smile and helps me on the ship. Lucas is last, followed by two guards.

"It's a pleasure meeting you, Captain Dofry." Joshua says to a man who approaches us on the hulk. He's of old age with thick eyebrows and a beard.

"The pleasure is all mine." He says, then turns to me. "Am I correct to assume the lady has never journied in a ship before?"

Joshua nods his head. That wasn't exactly true. I rode on boats when I was little.But the time frame only lasted from fifteen to thirty minutes. I would always get sick.

The rain has stopped now, but the dark clouds don't disappear. It would rain again at night.

I look down at my dress. Covered in mud. My ankles are cut and scratched from all the blind running.

I look around, trying to forget the pain in my feet.

The ship is large enough to carry around fifteen passengers, and right now the number is twelve, me being the only female.

There's a staircase that leads to the bottom, perhaps the bunkers, and on the left, there are two small boats in case of an emergency.

Guess I would be spending the night in the S.S Laverie.

"Are we ready to set sail?" One of the guards asks the captain.

The captain yells orders to his crew, and the masts are opened, the anchors drawn up, and we're ready to head to Valaire.

If it took three days to get between the two kingdoms on horseback, my quick mental calculation predicted that we would be in Valaire by tomorrow afternoon since we were using a shorter route.

The ship starts moving, and I'm glad it's slow at first because it was going to take me time to get used to it.

Joshua joins the captain, and I'm stuck with Lucas for now. I glance up at the sky. It's impossible to tell whether the sky is dark because of the clouds, or because the sun has gone down. In fact, the only way I know the dark clouds are still hanging around is because of the lack of stars.

"Valaire's not such a bad place you know." Lucas clears his throat.

"Huh?" I frown. I never said it was.

Lucas leans against the side of the ship so much I'm afraid he will fall. I join him, more or less to keep an eye on him.

"You didn't want to come." He explains. "You were repulsed by the idea."

"Oh." I blink. "No, not because of Valaire, it's just that I've never really travelled, so I'm not used to going to foreign places."

He raises an eyebrow. "You're the King's daughter." He says. "And you've never traveled?"

"No." I say, shaking my head a little. Now that I'm a little relaxed, I realize just how much my limbs are hurting. "Especially not on my own."

"But you're not alone." He says, the quickly adds in, "You have Joshua."

Ha. Right.All that pig cares about is himself.

"Not for long." I sigh. "He's coming back, isn't he?"

Lucas regards me with a nod. "You will be well taken care of, Princess." He says.

"Now I think you need to go down and rest, you look like you're about to fall asleep."

I don't even try to argue. I saunter down the stairs and flop on the first bed I see.

However, my brain is protesting. Every time I close my eyes, scenes from earlier today cross my mind, and I'm shaking and shivering and praying that it was all a dream and would go away soon.

No, I was desperate. I did pray, because it was the only thing I could do. I prayed until I eventually drifted off to sleep.

But even that didn't last long.

They say that you're brain is half awake when you try and sleep in a new place. Maybe that's why I actually remembered my nightmares, much less have them I'm the first place for the former reason.

They were shapeless, those soldiers, with bodies made of wisps of smoke and eyes as dead black as charcoal.

They did not speak. They did not move. They stood over the dead girl's body and watched all the blood drain out of her until she was hollow, just like them.

I wake up in a frenzy, drenched in sweat even though it's really cold. I will myself to open my eyes and stay breathing heavily, trying to calm my nerves.

"Water?" Somebody asks. The only source of light is a candle, flickering in dim wisps. The boat is rocking so hard I'm afraid it might fall, but it doesn't.

"The drinking kind, I mean." He smiles softly. I'm momentarily dazed, too shocked to even consider the fact that it looks good on him, which it does obviously.

He passes me a glass of water. I take it gratefully and gulp down the contents.

"Rough night?" He continues. For a minute I ask myself why he's being so nice, but of course, use this time to test out my theory on him being bipolar.

"Kinda." I rasp. "I can't get that scene out of my head."

When I look up at him, he's staring at me with those hypnotising crazy-warm eyes of his, and I can't help stare back.

"Lean over." He says.

"What?" I frown. Okay that was pushing it a little too much.

"Lean over." He repeats. "You've gone really pale."

Of course. The rocking. I plant both my feet on solid ground - ah, the irony - and he places his hand on my back and gently pushes me down so my head is resting in between my knees.

I try to focus on my breathing and less on the fact that the prince of Valaire actually has his hand on my back, radiating warmth through my body on this terribly cold Autumn night.

"Does that feel better?" He asks. I nod slowly and straighten up a little. He gets up and makes his way to the bed closest to mine.

Now that I'm actually paying attention, I realise the room consists of five beds - the first room downstairs- and a little cabinet on one side that the candle is sitting upon.

I sigh. "I should be with them." I say. "There's a war coming, isn't it?"

He purses his lips as he leans his head against the wall. "I would doubt it. The Northern Tribes have rheir own problems to deal with right now, but a war? Maybe in the start of next year."

Next year. That wasn't far away at all.

"How long would I have to stay in Valaire?"

He shrugs. I twist the sheets around my finger, coiling and uncoiling them. I hear Joshua upstairs, talking with the captain.

"Why did they want to kill me?" I ask him this because I know he's the one person that won't spare my feelings.

And I'm right. He doesn't. "War tactics. Revenge. Kill the thing that the King holds most dear, in this case, you."

Me.

Of course.

I hoped they wouldn't attack Mistell, even though my Kingdom could take care of itself, the Northern Tribes were known to be savages and quiet cruel in their manners and behaviour.

Like for example, killing children.

I shudder at the thought.

"It's getting late." Lucas yawns. "Get some rest."

He pulls the covers over himself, and I'm left alone with my thoughts.

However, I'm not going to let myself be so scared this time.

Tomorrow is going to be a new day, my first at Valaire. I'm determined to make it as succeful as possible.

I hold all of Mistell in me, I think as I lay back in bed. My father's pride, my mother's warmth and my brother's good-humoured nature. I am their voice in Valaire. I'm determined not to embarass them.

I am Riley, daughter of the King of Mistell. I am my country's voice. And I refuse to let it go unheard.


	9. Chapter 9

Valaire was a country whose main source of income was trade. It was the only trade route between the Northern Tribes and the far East.

Well, at least until the Depression Age. After Valaire's treaty with Mistell, trade stopped, which encouraged the use of all of the country's agricultural land.

The main river Juvé ran from Mistell and jutted out into the sea, with parts of both the former reaching Valaire and beyond, one of the reasons the soil was so fertile.That, and plenty of rain.

Today, however, there is none. I wouldn't say the sky is clear - it isn't - but at least it isn't wet either.

This morning on the ship is absolutely horrible.

I'm up before dawn - even the sun hasn't waken yet - and I can't take any more of this ship rocking back and forth like it's on a freaking amusement ride.

I sit up quickly. My stomach churns and I groan in pain.

Besides me, Lucas is still asleep. He's breathing really heavy and his eyelids are shifting like he's having a bad dream. To his right, Joshua is sprawled on his stomach, sound asleep.

I don't wake either of them up. There is a ninety percent chance they'll end up yelling at me, and that would get me really worked up to the point where I would yell back on the top of my lungs and well... ruin my entire morning.

At dawn, there is a light drizzle. I walk up to the deck and even though the weather requires me to cover myself in layers and layers of warmth - not that I had anything anyways - I observed the little beads of rain rippling and disappearing into the massive ocean waves.

"Good morning, Your Highness." One of the guards says to me. Why he's up at the crack of dawn I have no idea. But his partner is at the wheel, so I guess he's keeping watch.

"Good morning." I greet back.

I ask him how long our journey will be and he replies we'll be at the Valaire Court by noon.

We were making good time.

I turn back and look towards the sky. The sun is rising, but hidden beneath clouds. It's light is gradually translucing through. Gosh, it's absolutely breathtaking.

Everyone has woken up in the next three hours - except Joshua - and breakfast is served. A cup of runny porridge.

Now I'm not the type to make faces at food, but my stomach is far too restless to eat...that, thanks to the rocking of the ship.

So I thank the cook, but when nobody's looking, I pour it back.

The rest of the morning I spent idle. It's time like these I wish I had run up to my room to grab a few books just before we headed out.

Not that the ship doesn't have any books. Quite a few of the captain's journals litter an oak shelf. I try reading one, but it's mostly cordinates and notes in really bad hand-writing.

The guards are taking turns keeping watch, the captain is on the deck, and Lucas is busy studying several route maps.

Once Joshua is up and ready, he's on deck with the rest of the crew, leaving me down in the bunks.

But gradually, the day drags on and by the time the sun is at its highest, the captain spots land.

And then there's excitement in the air and nervousness running through the crew. My feelings, however, are an amalgamation of the former with dread.

Just three weeks. I could do this. I would be back in Mistell in no time.

We reach the harbour and the anchors are lowered.

There is a carriage waiting for us. Why, or how, I have no idea.

A royal advisor with the seal of Valaire pinned to his chest bows. He straightens up to look at me and he instantly frowns.

Gee, I didn't know I looked that bad.

His long white hair is curled around his ears, and he's... short. Ever shorter than I am.

"The Duchess and her daughter await." He says to Lucas, who smiles a little.

"What about Caroline?" He asks.

"I haven't seen her all day, Your Highness." He says. "She went to the village with one of her friends."

"And my parents?"

"They sent word. They would be arriving before dark."

Lucas nods, then turns towards me and Joshua. "Your carriage awaits, m'lady." He says to me.

"So kind of you. I'm flattered." Mocks Joshua sarcastically. I can't help chuckle a little.

I get in after Joshua, and Lucas is last. The guards close the door, and the horseman pulls at the stallion's reigns.

I refrain from looking out the window. Mostly, it's just fields and grass and outskirts of villages.

Half an hour later, we arrive at the Court of Valaire.

It's a giant stoned castle, complete with a drawbridge and four huge towers on either side. In the middle, from my view, there's a courtyard which leads to the linked buildings on the inside. The stables and servant quarters must be at the back.

The carriage stops and a guard opens the door.

He leads us inside through the giant gates into the carpeted - and tapestried - interior.

Down the hall, there are five people waiting for us.

As we arrive, each of them bows out of respect.

A girl squeals and she runs to hug Lucas. "I missed you." She says.

"I missed you too." He replies. She looks around my age, brunette, tall and pretty.

"I'm Caroline." She says, turning to me. She curtsies and I copy her action.

"Riley." I say.

Next is a larger curvy woman with her hair piled three feet high. Her eyes run up and down my body, eyeing my torn dress.

"This is my aunt, the Duchess of Kingsley." Lucas tells Joshua and I. "That's her daughter, Lilith." He points to a girl with a snub nose and sparkling blue eyes. She nods her head once.

"And her son, Farkle." Next is a tall, wiry boy with an easy going smile.

"Who names their kid Farkle?" Joshua whispers in my ear. I shrug.

But he seems like a nice guy, so I refrain from asking him.

The other two men are the King's advisors.

"You must be tired." Farkle says to Joshua and I. "Come, I'll show you to your rooms."

Passing each other a look, Joshua and I follow him. He leads us to the end of the hall where he takes a left, and climbs up the stairs to where the bedrooms and the guestrooms are located.

I notice several paintings and tapestries, some portraits, other scenes like the Age of Depression.

Why somebody would want to remember that I have no idea.

Farkle tries to make small talk once or twice but I'm far too tired. We reach my assigned room first, and Farkle points to the door.

"Lunch is served at two, and I can get the servants to bring it to your room if you'd like."

That causes me to smile a little. I thank him gratefully and once they're gone, I shut the door.

The room is huge, with a queen - size bed in the middle. It's made of mahogany with translucent drapes attached to it.

The floor is carpeted, and there's a giant wardrobe and a chest of drawers to one side, and a dressing table on the other. Red and gold curtains conceal the windows.

I walk up to the bed and flop down, resting my head on the soft, comfortable pillows.

Sleep soon follows.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N : surprise P.O.V. Thank you to all those who reviewed :) so just a warning, this chapter is kind of rushed. I didn't wanna write five more chapters stating every single little thing, but the end result, hopefully, won't be too bad.

~ Joshua ~

The people of Valaire are particularly happy about our arrival. Well, most of them. The duchess and her daughter keep giving Riley and me those weird stares.

Let's see if I can get this straight.

The Valaire family tree. King Arden and Queen Annabella have a daughter and an adopted son. King Arden also has a sister, the Duchess, who has a son and a daughter with the Duke of Kingsley.

And out of all the population of Valaire, I have the Duchess breathing down my neck.

Gee, I hope Riley grows on her, since they're going to be family soon. But then again, it was just a rumor.

At dinner, Farkle turns to me and asks, "So you're the heir?"

He's a nice guy and unlike his sister, I don't mind hanging out with him. The King and Queen, Lucas's parents, have just returned and we're all in the dinner hall.

"Rightfully." I reply, dabbing the corners of my mouth with a napkin. Valaire was big on manners.

"Well, is it true that the King's daughter is engaged to Lucas?"

I look at him and blink. The kid is merely curious. "Not yet." The announcement is under wraps. Even Riley doesn't know yet, and frankly, I don't know how she's going to take the news.

I turn to look at her. She's sitting in front of me, making small talk with Lucas's sister, Caroline.

Boy oh boy does she look uncomfortable. I've never seen her in such a fancy dress, and her hair, for once, is not falling over face.

However, I'm the only person in the room that notices how nervous she is. She's actually putting up a very brave front, and I couldn't be prouder of her for that.

Farkle clears his throat from besides me. I tun to look at him. "Wouldn't it make more sense for you to marry Caroline instead?" He asks.

I frown. No.

The situation is so ridiculous I almost laugh. Marry somebody else? Never.

My stream of conscious thinking eventually leads me to Maya. What's she doing right now? Is she thinking about me?

Lord, I sound like a teenage girl.

"Think about it." Farkle continues. "Isn't it more strategic to--"

"I barely know her." I state, raising my voice a little. Fortunately, everybody else is in their own little bubble, so nobody but Farkle hears me.

"Lucas barely knows Riley." He shrugs and returns to his plate.

I spare a glance at Caroline. She's really pretty - no doubt it wouldn't be difficult for her to find a husband - but I have Maya. Why would I need anybody else?

After dinner is done, I catch Riley before she heads to her room.

"I'm leaving tonight." I tell her.

Her eyes widen. "What?!" She whisper-yells, grabbing onto my sleeve.

I nod. "My mission was to bring you here safely, which I did."

She grits her teeth and leans back, crossing her arms over her chest. "You miss Maya, don't you?"

"It's not about that." I tell her. "I'm needed back at the castle."

She narrows her eyes. "Fine." She finally huffs. "What time are you leaving?"

"Before dawn."

"Okay." She says. "The least you could do is not wake me up to say goodbye. For goodness's sake, dawn?!" Now she's just rambling to herself.

She pulls me in for a hug. "Tell Maya amd my parents I miss them." She says.

"Of course. And Riley? Stay safe, okay?"

She nods, and after one final look, heads up to her room.

The journey is long, and I'm tired. After barely getting a wink of sleep, I get out of bed and get ready, heading to the harbour before the sun rose.

The captain is waiting for me, and the ship sets sail as soon as I step on board.

The journey besides being long, is rough. There's a storm and the East, and the winds and the water is restless.

"How easy it must be for them tribes to set sail across the ocean to Mistell." The captain says.

"Our scouts will spot them." I reply, but the old man winks with an eye that holds all of the ocean's secrets.

"Not always." He says.

I mentally sigh, telling myself to remind the king to increase border patrol.

We arrive in Mistell just as it's getting dark. Not that it matters. The sun hasn't been out for the last few days.

Art he harbour, I'm met with one of the King's guards. He's Nathaniel's friend and I ask him how he is now.

"Still hasn't woken up yet." Comes his reply.

"Anything interesting happened while I was away?" I ask him as we get in the carriage.

"Yes." He nods. "The Northern tribes have contacted the King, and propose a delegation."

Huh? The Northern Tribes weren't the ones to talk. They were the scream-bloody-murder people. Their ruler had killed his own father to take his throne. Who knew what those savages could do if they had the chance?

We reach the castle, and the first people to greet me are the King and Queen themselves.

"How's my daughter?" The King asks.

Gee, I'm good, thanks for the concern.

"She's shaken, but she'll be fine." I tell him. He looks at his wife then nods slowly.

"You must be tired. I'll talk to you during dinner."

Damn right. I hadn't slept for more than 36 hours. I was exhausted.

But I couldn't wait. So instead of going up to my chambers, I went looking for Maya.

She saw me in the long hallway just outside the kitchen. She gasped and then her mouth formed a smile.

She came running towards me and I pulled her into a hug, slamming her body into mine.

"I missed you." She whispered, still grinning.

"Me too." I said. Feeling her warmth, I forgot how tired I was. Suddenly nothing else mattered.

She pulls away from me a little, entwining our hands, "How's Riley?"

"She's fine." I reply, squeezing her hand.

A servant comes down the hallway, and we're forced to break apart.

"You should go rest." She frowns at me once the servant has walked out of sight. "Meet me at the stables after dinner, okay?"

"Sure." I reply, kissing her forehead.

I knock on the huge ivory doors that have a picture of a lion encarved on them.

"You said you needed to see me?" I ask after the King asks me to come in.

"Ah, yes. Please take a seat Joshua."

I do, and glance at the giant grandfather clock on the side. Fifteen minutes until I have to meet Maya at the stables.

"The Northern tribes have set up a treaty." He says.

"Yeah, I heard." Quite impossible to believe. "What are the terms?"

"Pretty high. Nearly half of the Kingdom's gold, ban restrictions of trade routes and..." he trails off.

"You know I love you, right?" He says suddenly.

"Yes, Your Majesty." I reply. Now I'm really curious as to what is going on.

"But our love for our country and our people should always come first." He sighs.

"Whats going on? What have they asked for?"

"Their ruler has a younger sister." He turns and looks at me dead in the eye. "They want you to marry her."

Suddenly, it all made sense.

Farkle was right. It would have been better for Valaire if I were to marry Caroline, but no, because the King was saving me for someone else.

The savages.

My mind is a spinning mess right now. How could he even say such a thing?

Maya... is the one name my brain can form.

"It's the only choice we've got." He continues. "Either marry her, or watch our Kingdom burn down to ashes."

There had to be another way, but in this case...

A ruler puts others' needs before his.

Marry the savage's sister to save the kingdom.

My heart sinks.


	11. Chapter 11

I wake up groggy and rub my eyes. The maid who awakened me stands at me bed side, looking at me with a shrewd face.

"It's late, Your Highness." She says. Her tone is anything but nice.

I look around. "I'm sorry." I state, still a little dazed. "Do I have anywhere to be?"

"The breakfast table, miss." She sneers. She's already folding my blankets even though I'm not out of bed yet.

"Right." I mumble. I get up and make my way to the bathroom. By the time I'm done taking my bath, another maid has already come in with another dress.

She helps me put it on, and though it is pretty, it is very, very tight.

What's more, the maid pulls the ribbons of my corset underneath the dress as tight as she can, restricting my breathing to short gasps.

"Breakfast?" I ask her.

"Main hall, to the right in the main passageway."

Before I can thank her, she's already leaving.

I bite my lip and make my way down the stairs. I try to find the main hall, but end up near the kitchens.

"Lost?" Somebody taps my shoulders. It's Lucas.

I turn to look at him. His freshly washed hair is pulled back, and he looks better than I do, like he's had a decent amount of sleep. Meanwhile, all I could do was toss and turn in bed, finally falling asleep at dawn.

"Um, no." I say. "I was just heading to the main hall."

He crosses his arms. "Lead the way." He says, his tone implying that he's bored.

I turn left, and there's a fork in the hall. Which way? Right or Left?

I turn right, and behind me, Lucas sighs. "Princess?"

"Hm?"

"It's the other way."

Of course it is. My cheeks burn, and luckily, I hide it by letting my hair fall on my face, grateful that the maids didn't style it like they did yesterday.

Five minutes later, we arrive. Mostly everyone is already there, piling up their plates with all sort of delicacies sitting on the long oak table.

"Good morning." Farkle greets. He's the first cheerful person I've encountered today, and I can't help feeling a bit surprised.

"Morning." I smile.

I sit next to him, and look up to find Lucas staring at us. He looks away when he finds my gaze.

On the oposite side, the King and Queen greet us. The Duchess simply stabs her omelette with a fork and her daughter, Lilith, eyes me up and down disapprovingly.

"Where's your cousin?" I ask Farkle.

"Caroline? Probably in the marketplace or something with her friends." He shrugs. "Did Joshua leave?"

"He left before dawn." I say, praying that he's safe. I'm not worried about him though, he's one of the few people in my family good with a sword.

"Riley." The Queen smiles at me. "You'll be happy to know the situation in Mistell in under control at the moment."

Oh Thank God. Wait, did that mean I could go home now?

As much as I want to, I refrain from asking. Perhaps they would take offense.

"I have business with the general and his wife today." King Arden turns to the Queen. "Maybe you could join me?"

"Of course." She smiles. "But that would mean the kids being on their own."

Ha. Own. That word made me laugh. There were a like hundred servants and guards in this castle.

"Don't worry about the kids, darling." The Duchess looks up at her sister-in-law, plastering a huge smile. Her voice is one of those deep throaty voices and doesn't fail to creep me out. "Perhaps Lucas here, could take the princess to the old church tower."

What? Why in the world would she...?

"Excellent idea!" The Queen clasps her hands together. She turns to us. "Lucas, take Riley to go see the church."

He looks at me, then to his mother. He scowls. "No." He says.

His mother suddenly frowns. "Lucas!" She says in a stern voice.

"Fine." He sighs. He gets up. "Let's go." He says to me.

"Right now?" I ask him.

"Unless you have a royal declaration to write."

I stand up. I've barely touched the pancakes on my plate but drank the juice down to half of the glass.

"Atleast give them time to prepare the carriage!" His mother calls.

"We'll take the horses." Lucas yells back.

Fifteen minutes later, we arrive at the stables.

"I'm assuming you know how to ride?"

"Obviously." I snort.

I hear him mumble 'too bad' to himself and not knowing why, I shrug it off.

"Pick your horse." He says.

I look around the stable, my eyes landing on a pretty white horse that seemed to be staring back at me.

The stable boy attaches the saddle even though I tell him I can do it myself, and once he's done, I hoist myself up on the animal.

Lucas does the same, but just as we're about to leave, two guards come through the doors.

"We've been asked to accompany you." One of them says. He's tall, stick thin, and has a goatee.

Lucas furrows his brows. He looks really angry. "By the Duchess, I presume?"

He nods. Huh, strange. I didn't think she cared so much.

The guards mount their horses, and one of them leads the way whilst the other one follows, so Lucas and I are kind of stuck in the middle.

We leave the stables and travel West, following the plains.

"Why are we going to the old church?" I ask Lucas. The frigid wind is bitter to my skin, yet I can't help feeling free. If that makes sense.

"Because mother said so." He retorts.

I throw him a look. Seriously? "Why?" I ask.

"It's a sacred place. It's also the place that her and father met."

Ah. I was going to focus more on the 'sacred' part.

Lucas kept throwing both the guards glares when he thought I wasn't looking, and something in their eyes told me they knew something we didn't.

Ten minutes later, we arrive. The old church is in fact, really really old. Makes me wonder how old the king and queen are, to have met in a place like this.

It stands on a lone hill, tall and towering. It's made of cement and white stone that has partly rotted away, the paint peeling away. Now, it's mostly home to moss and ivy.

"Don't tell me a priest is actually in there."

"You'd be surprised." Lucas mumbles. He gets off his horse and holds out his hand to me impatiently.

Even though I'm surprised, I take it. His skin is warm yet rough. His fingers are calloused. I decide it suits him.

He helps me off the horse, then turns to the guards. "We don't have all day." He says.

"We're not going in." The second one announces. He has a stub nose and long hair that reach his chin. He scratches his head.

For a minute, Lucas almost looks relieved.

"Come on." He says.

If I didn't know any better, I would say he would want us to go in there. Only us. Which is weird, because, well...

Ugh, never mind.

He pushes the gate open and as soon as we're inside, he says, "Keep a look-out. I don't trust those two."

Of course. That was the reason he didn't want them to come in here. Once again, I had drowned in my own embarrassing thoughts.

The inside of the church is surprisingly well kept. I wouldn't say it was shining - it wasn't - but nothing is broken down either. Except the roof looks like it's about to fall any moment.

On one side, there is a giant statue of an angel playing a harp. In the middle across the hall, rows and rows of seats. There's a small stage in the front, with a statue of Jesus, and a little area for the priest.

"Not too bad, huh?" He asks.

I shake my head, taking a seat on one of the benches.

Lucas joins me, surprisingly close. "It used to be magnificent, atleast that's what my parents keep telling me."

I wonder if he's talking about the king and queen, or his real parents. I don't ask though.

"I miss mine." I sigh.

"It's only a couple of weeks." He says.

"I know, but..." I trail off, exhaling loudly. "Never mind." I murmur, turning to face him. "Tell me about the church."

"Well for one, it was--"

But he never gets to finish that sentence.

The next minute, the roof above us is shaking, and I look up in surprise. The statue of the angel begins to tumble over.

There's a loud shatter of glass, and suddenly, Lucas has his arms around my waist. He presses me to his chest, pushing us both down beneath the benches.

I realised he's shielding me, protecting me from danger.

In an instant, everything comes falling down on us as the church crumbles.


	12. Chapter 12

I have an English exam tomorrow. What better way to practise then to write a chapter, m' I right, folks?

Lmao Caroline is lucas's sister, and no Joshua is not engaged to her. He's engaged to the Northern tribes' (the enemy's) sister.

So I was reading my book over and all I could think of was that if I was reading it for the first time, this would be pretty confusing.

So please do tell me and I'll change it. That, or I'm just stupid at times idk ._.

"Are you okay?"

Lucas's voice in my ear.

His hands clasping mine.

"I'm alive."

My voice, rough.

My head lying on his chest.

Shards of cement and stone around us.

"Can you move?"

The pain. So much that at first, you can't feel it at all. Then it engulfs you like a massive wave, leaving you completely numb.

"I don't think so."

I try to move, but at no avail. There's dust and smoke looming in the air like musty fog, and a giant piece of the roof over my leg.

Lucas curses, and I feel his chest vibrate against my cheek. "I'm going to try and lift this up, okay? On the count of three, pull your leg back."

I nod. Gulping, he pushes the rubble of himself kneels towards my leg. "1..."

His hands reach for the stoned piece.

"2..."

He grasps the edges tight. There's no way he can completely lift that thing. It's way too big.

"3!" He yells.

With a groan, he lifts it just enough so I can pull my leg back from under it.

The moment I'm done, he lets it go and it falls to the ground with a loud thud.

I lay there gasping. My eyes squeal shut as pain begins to flow through my leg, sharp and pulsing.

Hot tears are making their way down my face.

Lucas studies my face impassively. I still don't completely know what's happening yet I'm scared for the both of us.

I notice a large gash on his temple, extending down to his cheekbone. It looks deep.

"Um, let me..." His gaze turns to my leg. He lifts my dress up just above my ankle, and tries to bend my leg a little.

"It hurts." I state, as if it wasn't obvious enough.

"Fortunately, it's not broken." He says.

"Well isn't that just great?!" I suddenly snap. "We're stuck in some stupid old church that fell to the ground and I can't even move."

I knew what he was thinking. It was the same exact thing I was. Suspicion of foul play.

"I knew we couldn't trust those guards." He mutters. "It's one of the reasons I didn't want to come here in the first place."

Those guards were sent by the Duchess. So that meant she wanted to kill us. Did she hate her nephew that much?

The rubble around us answered my question.

With a sigh, Lucas got up, careful of the broken pieces of stone and wood. How amusing was it that he was the one trying to protect me yet he came out virtually unharmed?

Not amusing at all I guess.

But honestly, I was thankful for him being there. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Lucas extends his arm, placing it on my back.

"I'm going to try and help you up." He states.

His other hand finds mine, and he entwined our fingers tightly together.

"You can do it." He pulls on my waist and my arm, willing me to get up. I comply, shifting all my weight on my right leg, the one that isn't hurt, and lift myself up, transferring all my weight onto Lucas as I crash into him.

"It would be easier if I just carried you out." He says.

"I refuse to be carried." I shake my head. As much as I would love that, it would bruise my little ego that I had left.

Okay then. He begins walking in the direction of the door, stepping over stones and bent pieces of of the benches.

Walking is no different. A tiny quarter of my weight is on my right leg, and the rest on Lucas. He doesn't complain.

"You're way too slow." He groans.

My mouth hangs open.

Well excuse me, you're not the one with the injured leg here.

I gasp as he suddenly lifts me up.

"Put me down!" I scream at him.

"It's for your own good, Princess." He says.

Then he proceeds to carry me out through all the rubble. The whole time, I'm scared he'll drop me, or trip and drop us both.

But that never happens. Luckily.

Once we're outside, Lucas gives into my protests and sets me down.

Our horses aren't far away so I guess I could walk. Or limp apparently.

Our pace is rather fast, so it's almost like we're running. Two horses are are still bound to the trees and the guards are nowhere to be seen.

Lucas helps me down next to a large elm tree.

We're both breathing hard, restless, exhausted.

I'm gasping for air through my mouth, coughing, not because of the fact that my heart rate was up, but because I couldn't breathe properly at all. All that smoke and dust.

And that fact that my dress restricted my breathing just made it worse.

"Water?" Lucas asks. Without waiting for my reply, he gets up and hands me some water from a satchel attached to one of the horses.

"I'm...fine...it's just.."

I cough again.

"Is it safe..for us to be here..?"

"Don't worry." He says. "The guards won't come back. Chances are they left before the church fell down. It was all pre-planned."

All I can do is nod.

I shift around uneasily, trying not to put pressure on my leg but getting my dress to loosen at the same time.

"What's wrong?" He frowns.

"My dress..." I breathe. "It's too tight."

Lucas bites his lip as his eyes turn to my back. "Let's not make this any more awkward." He says just before he pulls my dress down from the back to reveal my corset.

My eyes widen and I gasp for the nth time.

His fingers caress my skin as he unties the ribbon. As embrassing as it is, it allows me to fully breathe again.

He ties it again, looser this time. "Better?" He asks. He pulls my dress over my shoulder and his touch seems warm, caring.

I squeak out a thankyou.

We sit there for a couple of minutes until we're ready to head back to the castle.

I close my eyes, still not believing what happened.

If it wasn't for Lucas 's quick thinking, I would be dead right now.

~ Lucas ~

"GO TELL FATHER!" My sister screams. She's shaking with anger.

"Don't you think I've already tried that?" I snap. "He doesn't believe me."

We arrived at the castle hours ago. Right now, Riley is in her bedchambers, resting off her leg. The doctor announced her bone bent, not damaged.

Caroline looks at me sadly. She walks over to me and engulfs me in a hug. "I'm happy you're safe."

"Me too, I guess." Caroline isn't even my real sister but that doesn't change the fact that we care for each other like blood siblings.

"We need proof that it was the Duchess." She says when she pulls away.

"The guards that did it left without a trace." I say. I'm frustrated with the whole thing. To be honest, this isn't the first time I've suspected her of doing something this vile.

"I'll look into her bedchambers." Caroline sighs. "How's Riley?"

"She's fine." I tell her. "Her legs injured, but other than that..." I trail off, lost in my thoughts.

I was supposed to marry that girl in a couple of months. How, I had no idea.

"She's a kind soul." Caroline says. "I hope, for both of you, that this little scheme of yours doesn't result in heartbreak."

I roll my eyes. Heartache was such a stupid and irrelevant thing to be thought of, especially for people who didn't marry for love.

"It's not a scheme. And it's not my idea."

"Fine." She huffs. "Our father's idea."

Our father's 'idea.'

"Ge to know the princess." His words ring in my ear. "Get her to love you, I don't care how. She'll never agree to this arrangement otherwise."

He was right. Riley would never agree to marry me because then she would have to move to Valaire, away from her family. She wouldn't... unless she had fallen for me.

As ridiculous as the idea was, it was true to some extent.

I had to make the princess fall for me.


	13. Chapter 13

I look out of the window. Clouds have settled in, dark and brooding. The sky has already ripped open and rain is pouring down in slanting sheets that, at times, turn horizontal because of the harsh winds.

Inside, flames lick at the wood in the fireplace.

Caroline had placed a couple of candles in my room when she came over this morning, and only two of them are still burning.

I sigh.

A knock on the door makes me look up. Pulling the covers over my bandaged leg, I ask them to come in.

It's Farkle.

"Hello." He smiles at me. He comes and sits down on the foot of my bed. His hair is wet.

"Did you just take a bath?" I ask him.

He grins and motions towards the window. "Something like that."

I catch on quickly. He's been out in the rain.

"Why would you want to get sick?" I ask him.

"I don't. But mother's guards were spotted in the marketplace and I couldn't help go looking after them." His mother, the woman who tried to kill me and Lucas.

I take a deep breath. I want to ask Farkle if he knows anything,but chances were he didn't. He wasn't anything like The Duchess, or anything like his sister.

"Did you find them?" I ask.

He purses his lips disappointingly and shakes his head. "However," he suddenly smiles. "I got you this."

From his pocket, he produces a letter. I can't help beaming when I see Mistell's seal on it, and my father's name imprinted in bold.

"Thank you!" I squeal.

He smiles back. "Go on, open it."

I do, and start reading.

My dearest daughter,

I hope to write to you in good health. I cannot wait until the day you return to Mistell. Or better yet, the day we come to see you.

Yes, Joshua and I have important matters to discuss with King Arden, so we shall make the long journey to Valaire. I am sure your mother and Maya would also agree to come along, as they have missing you just as much as I.

I hope to see you exactly two weeks from now. I couldn't tell you how proud I am of you for all that you've done. You grow more beautiful every day.

Love,

Father.

I grasp the letter tightly in my hand, my mouth twisting upwards into a smile. "They're coming to visit!" I tell Farkle.

"The King?"

"And the Queen. And Maya."

"Whose Maya?" Farkle's eyes flicker to the fireplace.

"She's my best friend." I tell him. "She's the kindest soul."

"I can't wait to meet her then," Farkle twists the bedsheet around his fingers. He looks at the door, which is closed.

"Are you okay?" I ask him, frowning.

He turns to me. "Are you?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" I ask him. Hos eyebrows furrow together.

"Look at your leg. Your lucky to come out alive."

My eyes glance at my leg which is hidden under the blankets and the bedsheets. "I came here to tell you to be careful." He sighs. "My mother is not the only one plotting against you."

I look up at him and blink. "What?" But he's already gotten up and is heading towards the door "Just be careful, please."

And with a thud, he's gone.

My joy is shortlived. It's true that nightmares seem stupid when you wake up to the sun. But what about those nightmares that can't stop haunting you, even after the first light spreads into your room from the curtain?

Blood.

Murder.

My father's face. His eyes. Closed.

I take a deep breath. What is wrong with me?

I have just woken up, it's late in the afternoon. Light filters through my room, but not as bright as it could be due to the morning's rain.

"Hello." Caroline's chirpy voice comes from the door. She walks in, followed by Lucas.

"How's your leg?" Lucas asks. This was the first time he has spoken to me after the incident, and the whole situation is pretty awkward.

"It's perfectly fine. When do I have permission to walk again?"

This isn't entirely true. But I'm sick and tired of staying in the same place, not being able to move.

"The doctor will check up on you in the evening." Caroline takes a seat next to me on the bed, and Lucas pulls out a chair. I run a hand through my hair, trying to tame it down.

"So we found out your father's coming for a visit." Says Caroline. "Must me exciting, huh?"

I nod. Now that I think about it, why was he coming? Must be really urgent.

I pray he hasn't heard of what happened to me. He doesn't need the extra stress.

I close my eyes for a second, then deny ever doing so. A memory flashed before my eyes, the day at the arena.

I take a deep breath. Pretend everything's normal. You can do it, at least for now.

A maid enters the room, calling Caroline. Caroline gives Lucas a look, then leaves.

Lucas clears his throat. "How are you really feeling?" He asks.

I rest my head back and sigh. "Please don't pretend like you care." I say. "I just want to get off this bed."

"Noted." He gets up and to my surprise, moves and sits on the place that Caroline was just a few minutes ago, which is a lot closer to me.

I gulp. "Do you need something?"

He studies my heating face and suddenly grins. "Do I unnerve you, Princess?"

I frown. He leans in closer. "N-no." I shake my head determinately.

"Good." He says, then he abruptly moves back. "I'll come back with the doctor later this evening. Try not to miss me too much."


	14. Chapter 14

I tap my fingers nervously on my bed. I'm propped up between the pillows, waiting for the doctor to arrive.

The first visit didn't go so well. Here I am now, a couple of days later, waiting to see if I can finally walk.

"You're so excited." Lucas snickers. "What if he says you can't walk?"

I roll my eyes. "You're such a pessimist."

There's a knock on the door, and the elderly man enters. He has his little round glasses on, and his beard is just about reaching his chest.

"Good evening, Your Majesty."

I greet him back, and he sets his suitcase on my nightstand table. He turns to my leg.

He takes the bandages off, and slowly starts to bend it. The bruise is still there, but almost healed.

"Would it be too much to ask you to stand up?" He says.

"No problem."

In an instant, I'm up on my feet. But then the pain arrives like fire through my veins, and I really wish I hadn't done that. Swallowing, I put on a brave facade.

Lucas looks at me and frowns. "There's no way that couldn't have not hurt." He mumbles.

I clear my throat. The doctor asks me to take a step. Slowly.

With my hands clenched into a fist, I do so.

"See? I can move." I tell him.

The doctor purses his lips. "Perhaps it's best for you to stay in bed." He says. My eyes widen. No. Anything but that.

"But you can practice walking short distances." He says. "With help of course."

I nod. Atleast I won't be confined to one place. "I'll come check up on you in two days times." He takes a small vial out and hands it to me. "Take this if the pain flairs up again." He says. "And call for me if it's too much."

"Thank you." I say to him. He bows, and then leaves.

Once he's out the door, Lucas whistles. "It's best if you stay in bed." He repeats.

I'm tempted to roll my eyes again. I turn to the window, where the rain has mostly stopped and a light breeze flutters through the sky. "Perfect weather for a picnic." I grin.

Lucas looks at me like he's looking at a lunatic. "Picnic." He says in a high-pitched voice, trying to imitate me. "Picnic my--!"

I pick up a pillow and throw it at him. "Why are you so rude?"

"One of has to be, little miss sunshine." He says. "God, you're so optimistic, you make flowers look satanic."

I didn't see what was so wrong with that. And now, since Lucas had totally dismissed my idea of going outside, I was going to do it anyway.

I lick my lips in anticipation. My dress is presentable, and I run a hand through my knotted hair, trying to tame it down.

I take a step forward with my good leg.

"What are you doing?" Lucas scowls.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" I snap back. "I want to go outside!"

Lucas curses. "You're so annoying, woman." He mutters. "Did you hear the doctor? You need help to walk."

I shake my head. "I refuse to use those sticks old men use to get around, you know like--"

Lucas sighs. "Fine." He says. He crosses his arms. "Walk."

I take a deep breath which doesn't come out as steady as I would have liked it to. I shuffle forward, trying not to put too much weight on my bad leg.

Muttering something incoherent, Lucas comes towards me and grabs my shoulder. "What?!" I snap.

"You need help." He says, quieter this time. "At this pace, you'll never get outside."

I swallow down nothing but air, knowing he's right to some extent. And he's being nice in his own conceited kind of way, who am I to deny it?

So I let him help me out of the hallway and down the stairs, even though it takes a really long time. Farkle sees us once and cracks a smile, and so does one of the servants.

On the way out of one of the backdoors, Lucas grabs a blanket and a picnic basket.

The Meadows are a fairly long distance to cover, but I don't care because it feels good to have the breeze tickle your face again, and feel the grass under your feet.

Lucas sets down the blanket on the top of one of the hills under an old oak tree. It's quiet, and nobody's around.

Lowering myself on the ground, I hunt through the basket and find a buttered piece of bread. I take a bite and let it melt in my mouth.

"Are you sure it doesn't hurt?" He asks.

"Since when do you care?"He sits down next to me, keeping distance. "And don't you have prince stuff to do?"

He shakes his head. "Not for now atleast." Then he raises his voice. "I feel responsible for what happened."

I turn to him and his eyes are on the ground. He looks up at me silently. "Well, can't say that it isn't your fault." I smile sheepishly at my bad humor. "I'm only joking, Lucas. What happened, happened. You need to get over it."

He exhales. "I should have seen it coming." He mumbles.

"Why?" I dig through the picnic basket and find two apples in it. I toss one at him and he catches it quickly.

"The Duchess isn't exactly our number one fan." He says, taking a bite.

Well I know why she doesn't like me, but Lucas? Everyone else had already accepted him.

"She believes her son should be on the throne instead." Lucas continues.

"Because he's of royal blood?" I ask. Lucas purses his lips. "Well, blood isn't the only thing that turns you into a king."

"To the Duchess, it is. And power and money."

I rest my hand on the edge of the blanket, twirling blades of grass around my fingers. "Why does she hate you so much?"

"I'm not a royal." He says. "My parents were from one of the smaller villages on the outskirts of Valaire."

"Yet here your are." I say light-heartedly. "What happened?"

"There was a fire." His voice is kind of scratchy. "The King happened to be there at the event when it happened. He saw my parents burn to ashes."

I bite my lip. My hand finds his and I give it a reassuring squeeze. "He adopted you." I say.

He nods. "I was only two at the time. And since I'm the closest thing he's got to a son, I become king when I turn eighteen."

"And when's that?" I ask.

"A month from now." He says.

"Well, you'll need a queen, won't you?" I take another bite out of the apple. Deleciously sweet. "Got anyone in mind?"

His eyes seem to be piercing through mine. "Maybe, I don't know." He shrugs. "I'm not sure she wants me."

I roll my eyes. "What girl wouldn't want a prince?" I ask.

"One who wouldn't want to move all the way from her home in Mistell. Permanently."

I see the conversation hitting dangerously close to home, and shift my eyes to my lap. "You sure you're ready to become king?"

"We'll find out soon enough." The corners of his mouth twist up in a smile.


	15. Chapter 15

"I don't like her." Caroline wrinkles her nose and turns to Farkle. "No offense."

"My sister isn't the person I'm most fond of either." Farkle says. "If you remember, she was the reason I broke my leg."

Lucas laughs. "That was mostly Caroline's fault." Caroline shoots him a dirty look and throws a pillow at him. He easily dodges it.

Right now, the four of us are sitting in Caroline's room. Initially it was only me and her and the boys decided to join us later on.

"When are your parents getting here?" Caroline turns to me.

"Tomorrow evening." I reply.

Caroline nods. "Remind me to tell the cook to make her famous chocolate cake. You'll love it." Her eyes widen. "In fact, why don't we make it ourselves?"

"Great idea." Says Lucas. "Except for the fact that you don't know how to cook."

"We just need the recipe." Says Caroline. She suddenly gets up. "Wait here."

In a rush, she's out of the room.

"That girl." Lucas shakes her head. "She's crazy."

"She's your sister." I say. "And she has a better attitude than you do."

Farkle bites his lip from snickering. "I think this is the first time anyone's stood up to the prince." He says.

Lucas scowls, but doesn't say anything.

A few minutes later, Caroline is back with a piece of paper in her hand. She gives it to me, and written in her messy scrawl, is a list of ingredients.

"The servants are busy preparing for tomorrow." She breathes heavily like she ran all the way. "We'll need to get them from the market ourselves."

"Okay." I get up. Must be fun.

"Your leg's still injured." Lucas points out.

I frown. "I can walk. No problem." I give him a challenging look, and he backs off.

"Are you guys coming?" Asks Caroline.

The two boys turn to each other, having a silent conversation.

"Sorry." Says Farkle. "Fencing lessons today."

"I thought Daniel was with his sister for the week."

"He just got back this morning." Lucas uncrosses his legs and gets up.

"Okay. Have fun." Smiles Caroline, messing up Farkle's hair.

"Stop." He wines. He gets up and follows Lucas, closing the door behind them.

"Do you have a cloak?" Asks Caroline.

"Nope." I say, shaking my head. I bite my lip when I think of that happened to my last one. My only one.

"I think I have an extra somewhere." She murmurs, going through her wardrobe. "Here." She finally finds one and throws it at me. I catch it with ease. It's the same color as my previous one, dark red. It feels heavier.

Caroline puts on her own royal blue one. "We'll take the horses, since you might have trouble walking."

I'm about to argue that it wouldn't be trouble at all, but stop and realize she's right.

So I follow her to the stables. We get on the horses, and Caroline leads the way.

She's a slow rider, and I'm thankfu to have that today. "How long do you think the bad weather will last?" I ask her.

I can't help glancing up at the sky, where formations of clouds have hidden the sun from view. It isn't raining. Not yet at least.

"A week or two perhaps. Monsoon is quick. Heavy, but quick." She replies.

In a matter of minutes, we're out of the fields and the castle grounds. Caroline knows the shortcuts, and we get to the village in half the time it would have taken any carriage.

"How come the guards didn't stop you?" I ask her. "Shouldn't you be accompanied by them?"

She laughs. She gets off her horse before we enter the marketplace. A boy with a fringe is waiting for her. He takes her horse from her, pulling it aside from the commotion.

The boy looks at me expectedly, so I do the same. He pulls at my horse's reigns when I'm down on the ground and leads them away to the stables at the back.

"The guards are supposed to." She answers. "But everyone knows where I'm headed most of the time, so nobody really cares."

"What about protection?" I ask.

Caroline shrugs. "I can fend for myself."

My shoes tap on the cobblestone streets, although it's swallowed by the cacophony of the area. Sellers are hooting prices, urging people to come to their stalls.

Men in aprons and girls in cloaks roam the area, and a child breaks away from his mother's grasp to chase the other children.

"The finest silk!" Yells one seller close by. His stall contains a variety of soft coloured cloth. Women have began to gather, inspecting it.

I pull my hood up, concealing my hair and parts of my face. Many people recognize Caroline, girls wave to her and some of them even curtsy.

"It's the last hour most sellers are open." Caroline turns to me. "We better hurry up." True to her words, I realize it would almost be 6 soon. Dinner time for most people.

I would have wondered why so many people are out at this hour, then remembered it had been raining all day long.

"You get the flour and the cream." She says. "Butter won't be available at this time but I think we've got some in the castle." She hands me a small bag of silver coins. "I'll meet you here at ten."

I nod. Then she disappears into the crowd and I'm left on my own. This isn't very different from Mistell. In fact, Maya and I used to go to the village all the time.

Thinking of the memory, an intense feeling of nostalgia creeps up my heart, and the only reason I keep from fretting is because she's going to be here tomorrow. Finally.

I make my way through the passageway, avoiding bumping into people. There's a stall for silks and another one for eggs. A man is selling bowls of porridge on the corner and gives me a toothy grin as I walk by.

There's a card reader sitting on a carpet with his parrot next to him. "Come my dear," he hisses with a sly smile. I don't move forward, mostly because I'm intrigued. "Pick a card." He says. My eyes randomly search the deck and I point to the one in the corner.

His parrot hops over and picks it up, handing it back to his master. The man in the turban looks at it, and turns to me.

"The lion with three copper claws." He hisses. "Princess." He bows his head. "Remember that."

I lick my lips nervously. I'm pushed by someone in the crowd, and almost tumble forward.

That's when I see them.

Lucas and Farkle, unmistakable even in the drowsy evening light.

Didn't they say they were going to be fencing...? What were they doing here?

Were they here for us? No, that didn't make any sense.

My eyes quickly search the crowd. I find Caroline arguing with the guy selling eggs. I run up to her and pull her away.

"Hey! I almost--"

I point at the boys. Lucas is leaning against the shadows of an old building, talking to Farkle in hushed whispers.

Caroline turns to me. "Why are they here?" She asks.

"Let's find out."


	16. AN

Hey guys! This isn't an update, just a little family tree. Or so I call it. It's messed up really.

Sorry for not updating / I had a chemistry exam last night and I stayed up late. I've never studied so much in my life.

if anyone's a little confused, here are the existing characters.

• King Arden and Queen Annabella = Lucas's parents.

• Caroline = Lucas's sister.

• Farkle = Lucas and Caroline's cousin.

• The Duchess = Farkle's mother.

• Lillith = Farkle's sister.

Here's a little summary of what's going on :

Valaire and Mistell are two neighbouring kingdoms. They are at war with the Northern Tribes.

Lucas is engaged to Riley, as per the request of both the Kings. Lucas is going to be king soon, but The Duchess disagrees because she wants her son, Farkle, at the throne instead.

Joshua is in love with Maya but he can't be with her because he has to follow the contract and marry the enemy's ( the leader of the Northern tribe's) sister so a war doesn't break out.

Ah, hearts are gutted. But one thing I can agree is Lucas and Riley WILL have their moments together (obviously.) Even if they don't end up together in the end ( but they might)

And as for the ending, I can't say whether it is sad or happy. A lot of you were upset about Fallen Princess's ending, and I certainly do not want a repeat of that ( yay!) So maybe Riley and Lucas COULD get together, you never know *winks*

Here's me, signing out. ( no really, I have an exam to study for. Foreign languages ain't easy) xX

Hugs and Happy December to all ! (I love winter hehe)


	17. Chapter 17

A/N : anyone watches OUAT here? Oh, who watched suicide squad?! I just downloaded it a couple of days ago and it was pretty good. I won't say awesome, but it was nice. Harley and the Joker had the best bits But so did June and Agent Rick, I felt like they were the underdogs. *takes deep breath* sorry for that rant. Onto the chapter.

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in." Caroline says and claps her hands.

Lucas immediately turns to his sister and his eyes widen. Farkle looks equally disturbed.

"Thought you had fencing lessons." I cross my arms as we make our way towards them. They're both wearing clothes that blend in and conceal the fact that they're royalty.

"Care to explain?" I ask.

Farkle and Lucas share a silent conversation. Farkle sighs. "Just tell her." He says.

Lucas bites his lip as he turns to me. "You remember the guards that tried to kill us?" He asks.

No, I want to say. I don't remeber the cause of my near-death at all.

"One of our servants saw them in this brothel down the streat. We're waiting to go in and see if they come."

I should have asked 'why?' Or 'when?' Or 'how?' But nope. The first thing that came out of my mouth was "I wanna come."

I throw them a determined look, challenging them to say no. They don't.

"Me too!" Caroline whines.

"Are you kidding?" Lucas turns to his sister. "Half the village knows who you are. You're totally going to blow our cover." The his gaze shifts back to me. "Brothels aren't exactly princess-friendly places."

Try me.

"Get the horses ready after you're done shopping or whatever." Farkle says to Caroline. "We'll need them."

Caroline nods. "Stay safe, okay?" She says to me. I say I will, and after giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, she turns her back and leave.

"So, where's the brothel?" I ask.

We begin walking - well, actually, the boys begin walking. I just follow them like some lost puppy - and Lucas's pace is increasing.

"Do you even know what it is?" His tone is not hurtful, yet the question bugs me.

"I'm not stupid." I roll my eyes. A place where people drink, right?

Right?

"Midnight Lake, that's the name." Says Farkle. "It's just a couple of blocks."

We pass houses which were stacked next to each other, small buildings made of red bricks that had balconies and little towers.

In the distance, thunder boomed. I hoped the rain wouldn't start till tonight, at least not in the village anyways.

Farkle is right. Down a couple of blocks is a little building, isolated by a thin circumference of patches of grass. A signboard cut in the shape of a circle has the words 'Midnight Lake' carved on it.

It's shaped like a hut, and even has a thatched roof.

I look over my shoulder. A group of men enter through the front doors, laughing at something the first of them said.

"Sure you want to go in there, Princess?" Lucas asks.

I nod my head timidly.

He leads the way. Pushing the front doors open, he steps to the side to reveal a brown interior with long benches set on both sides, parted in the middle. The floor is made of wood and there's a large fire burning in the corner.

Men are laughing loudly, hooting at a couple of girls that just happen to pass by. Their clothes being anything but modest.

"Escorts." Farkle whispers to me. "Stay away from them."

I didn't think he needed to worry about that.

Whatever I expected, it wasn't this. In some ways, it was kind of better.

Lucas gets us a table at the corner. No one else is sitting nearby, so there's a lot of privacy.

"What will it be?" A lady comes to us and asks. She looks worn out, with bags under her eyes and a bent back.

I look around and notice most people with large mugs in their hands, no doubt filled with alcohol.

"Just beer." Lucas murmurs. Farkle asks for the same.

She turns to me and I smile kindly. "Nothing. Thanks anyways." The old lady looks surprised for a minute, then she turns her back and leaves.

"See them yet?" Asks Lucas. He's keeping his head down, trying to remain hidden.

Farkle and I both say no. I turn to Farkle to ask him something, but the words get stuck in my mouth as soon as I see what he's looking at.

More specifically, who he's looking at.

It's a girl, with black hair and fair skin. She's literally the only girl here dressed modestly, with a shawl draped around her shoulder.

"Haven't see you lot here before." She comes towards us and takes a seat.

"We don't come here often." Lucas says gruffly, his eyes darting around the place.

He seems tense, so I place my hand on top of his under the table. His gaze flickers to me in surprise and amusement, before he turns away. He doesn't say anything, but gives my hand a small squeeze.

Thunder booms. A minute later, the sound of rain hitting the windows cuts through the crackling of fire.

"I'm Farkle." Farkle smiles and extends his hand.

"Isadora." She smiles back. The old lady comes back with two mugs filled to the brim with beer and places it in front of the boys. Farkle mumbles out a thanks.

A teenage boy sitting on the other table with his group of friends calls Isadora, and she sighs and gets up. "Brother." She mumbles. "I'll see you around?"

"Sure." Farkle say in a daze.

"There." Lucas tugs on my hand and motions in the direction of the door. I turn my head and sure enough, two guards are there, two very familiar guards.

"This doesn't make sense." I mutter. "Why are they here?"

A completely stupid thing to say, but the question just struck me right now.

The old lady is walking in their direction, getting ready to take their orders.

"Never thought about it that way." Says Farkle. He frowns. "It could be a trap and --"

But Lucas doesn't want to listen. In a moment, he's already getting up, yelling profanities and making his way towards the guards.

The guards are abruptly up, running towards the door.

I catch a sight of something in Lucas's hand. It's the silver blade of a dagger he produced from his pocket.

Farkle looks at me nervously. Because of my leg, I can't run behind him. "Go!" I yell at Farkle.

He doesn't need to be told twice.

I, however, try to walk as fast as I can, ignoring the shooting pain up my leg.

I push through the gates and a shower of water hits me. Mentally cursing, I squint through the rain.

Farkle and Lucas are on the middle of the street, with the two guards facing them. No one else is around.

In a flash, one of the guards produces a sword. My eyes widen and I try to run towards them, but I'm too slow.

No. You can make it, Riley. You have to.

Farkle has a stick in his hand with a jagged end. A makeshift spear.

Lucas gets ready to aim with his dagger, and the guard with his sword.

I will my leg to move faster, helplessly trying to run towards them in the pouring rain. Tears begin to pool my eyes as the pain increases, but I don't stop.

I can't. Farkle and Lucas, they need me right now.

Lucas stops the guard's first blow successfully. He aims with his dagger and plunges, but the guard is just as fast.

I'm almost there. Come on, just a little more...

On the other side, Farkle is doing well. He manages to hit the second guard a couple to times, just not hard enough for the guard to fall.

My eyes scan the surroundings. I pick up a rock lying on the sides of the street.

Lucas aims his next move, but the guard is ready. In a flash, the dagger is out of Lucas's hand and lying on the opposite end of the ground.

The guard gets ready to strike, and just the sword is about to plunge into Lucas's chest, I pull my hand back and throw the rock as hard as I can.

But I miss.

Fortunately, that distracts him.

I gulp. Farkle is doing no better than me. The second guard notices me first, and he's close enough to hit me.

And hit he does, a punch straight to my stomach.

With a painful gasp, I'm down on my knees. My wet hair is sticking to my face and the cold air seems too sharp to bear.

My eyes widen as I realize what the first guard is about to do. "Lucas!" I yell.

But it's too late.

The sword manages to cut through his chest.

Lucas staggers back, but in a rush of adrenaline, he manages to land a final blow on the guard's stomach before he falls to the ground.

The guard backs away so he's close to his partner. Realizing they're outnumbered, the guards begin retreating.

"Lucas." I whisper. I'm crawling on the ground towards him. His hand is placed on his chest, blood seeping out. In an instant I place his head on my lap.

"Get the horses." I choke. Farkle is up in an instant.

I place my hand above his, letting the blood seep through my fingers, mixing with the rain water.

Farkle doesn't need to go far. Caroline was already close, and so were the horses.

Lucas's eyes are closing. "Don't give up, okay?" I whisper to him.

I close my eyes, finally letting my tears fall.

For him. For Farkle. For me.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N : It's not fifty people that died, my mom told me. It's fifty families that suffered. May their bodies rest in peace

On a lighter note, how's the weather from where you are? I remember those sweet times when it actually rained in England. Here in Dubai, we hardly get any wind at all, let alone snow and rain.

Devin, I love your reviews idk why xD

Ah yes, we have IGCSEs and they're quite hard too. I'll be finishing up in May/June :)

The next few hours pass in a blur. Doctors, medicines and bandages. Lots of yelling.

I'm in the throne room, standing against a pillar. My stomach hurts if I breathe too hard, and I feel a little dizzy.

Perhaps it's because of all the screaming.

"It was the guards!" Caroline is biting her parents' heads off.

"You have no proof." Her father shakes his head. "I'm sorry, but there can't be a trial."

Farkle, who's standing next to me, throws me a sad look. I know what he's thinking because I'm thinking the same thing.

Lucas is in his room. The doctor says he's stable, but seeing Lucas on his bed like that, unconscious and weak, it's disheartening.

Caroline clenches her fist. "So a bunch of raccoons just walked up to them and tried to kill them?" She says sarcastically.

Queen Annabella walks over to me. Before I can register what's going on, she has her arms wrapped around me.

"I'm sorry." She says.

The King however, looks angry. "Look, Caroline." He says to her. "I'm not going to tolerate this anymore. The story you're going to stick with, is that three robbers attacked them. Atleast until we have proof."

Won't that increase fear among the villagers? I purse my lips. It's best to stay quiet.

He turns to Farkle. "Besides, why would my sister want to kill her own son?"

She didn't try to kill Farkle, I want to say. It was me and Lucas she was after.

Caroline storms out of the room.

"Now look at what you've done." The Queen crosses her arms angrily at her husband.

"Don't blame me." He says. "She's far too rebellious for her own good. And what is all this nonsense about my sister trying to sabotage my son? It's getting ridiculous!"

The Queen sighs next to me. "Our son's injured." She says. "I suggest we go see him."

The King grits his teeth, but doesn't say anything.

Once they're out of the room, Farkle turns to me. "It's getting late." He says. "You should head upstairs."

I didn't realize how tired I was. Or hungry. But the sight of food would make the throw up anyways, so there was no point in eating anything.

"I hope all this arguing cools down by tomorrow." I say. "I don't want my parents to worry."

Farkle nods. "Don't worry." He squeezes my shoulder softly. "The King calms down just as fast as he flares up."

"I hope you're right." I say. I bid him goodnight, and walk out of the throne room. I'm just heading up the stairs when I hear two voices. It's Caroline and the Duchess's daughter, Lillith.

"I'm on to you." Caroline hisses.

Lillith rolls her eyes. "Darling what happened, happened." She smirks. "It's not my fault your dear brother overheard a servant saying where the guards will be." In a higher pitch, she adds, "My mother's servant, that is."

Then she's off leaving Caroline alone. If looks could kill, Lillith would be ten feet underground.

"She's just trying to get in your brain." I go over to where Caroline is standing.

"So it was planned." Caroline breathes. "My own aunt just tried to kill you and my brother."

"And failed miserably." I add.

When I look at her, she's got beads of tears in the corners of her eyes. Her blonde hair is coming out of her braid, and she looks miserable.

She shakes her head, trying to get rid of her emotions. "I was just going to go visit Lucas. Come with me."

I find myself accepting. Even though I'm tired, I probably won't fall asleep until I know how Lucas is doing.

The clock strikes one, and its sound is heard all over the hallway. Caroline leads me to Lucas's room, just as the King and Queen are leaving.

They don't see us arriving, which in Caroline's case, is a good thing.

Lucas looks the same as he did when I left, just an hour ago. He's delerious, pale. Even though he's unconscious, his eyelids are shifting like he's having a bad dream.

"The doctor says it's the fever." Caroline sits next to him. "But he's supposed to wake up by now."

I sit on the opposite side. Fever? Possibly. I reach over and place the back of my hand on his forehead. He's definitely burning up.

His breathing is ragged, like he just ran a mile. Caroline bites her lip nervously, holding onto his arm and shaking him.

"I don't think you're allowed to do that." I say to her.

"He's not waking up." She says. "What do I do? Let him stay like that?"

"That's exactly what you're supposed to do." I say, making her pull her hand back. "He needs rest."

Lucas mutters a few incoherent words and for a minute, I think he's awake, but his eyes are closed. He's still sleeping.

"Come on." I say, getting up. "You can visit tomorrow morning."

Caroline throws him one last look as she gets up.

"Please wake up soon." I whisper to him.

'Is he feeling better?' I had asked the doctor this morning.

The doctor took one look at him and nodded.

Now, a little after 6 in the evening, he wakes up.

Its quite sudden.

I'm sitting besides him, a book on my lap. He has been murmuring incoherent things in his things, jerking his head.

Then his voice gets more desperate, almost like he's begging for something.

"No!" He yells. In a moment he's up, breathing hard with widened eyes.

It takes him a moment to absorb everything in. He calms down after a few minutes. His skin is blazing hot, covered in a thin sheet of cold sweat.

He traces his wound over his thin shirt with his hand, sucking in his breath where it hurts.

"Bad dream?" I ask. He cracks a sad smile. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay." He replies.

Lucas stares at me with those soulful eyes of his, and I can't help melt like the candles in his room.

He's very much awake, but his fever's still high.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"A day." I shrug.

"The guards--"

"They got away." I answer.

He leans back against the headboard. Silence develops between us, and it's not awkward. It's comforting.

"You ever think of the waves?" He sighs abruptly.

"What about them?" I close the book in my lap and lean forward.

I think my temperature's soaring up a little too, maybe because of the fact that he's clasping his hand in mine.

"They crash and crash at the beach trying so hard to come further..." he mumbles. "And they don't know they're controlled by the moon, and the moon doesn't know it's stopping them, and they both..." he trails off, looking at me. "Ever thought about it?"

I lick my lips nervously. "Can't say that I have." I answer.

He closes his eyes. "I'm having horrible nightmares." He confesses.

"It's because of the fever." I say. "I could get the doctor to give you more medicine--"

"No." He cuts me off. "It's always the same nightmare."

I twist the bedsheets with my pointer finger and thumb. "It helps if you talk about it. If you want to."

He pushes his hair away from his forehead. "I'm back at the place where my parents died." He mumbles. "They're always calling for me, asking me for help. And I'm standing there, but it's like I can't move."

"Do you remember what they look like?" I ask him.

He shakes his head. "Faceless ghosts." He whispers. In the candlelight,his eyes are wet.

He squeezes my hand tighter and leans forward. He looks a little delerious, perhaps because of the medicine.

"Thankyou, Princess." He murmers. He leans in a little more until his head rests on my shoulder. "For yesterday."

I want to tell him it's alright, but he looks so peaceful. A minute later, his eyes close and he's fallen asleep. I push him back gently ontothe bed, and leave the room.

I'm just about to head to the main hall for breakfast, when I hear Caroline running towards me.

"Riley!" She's screaming.

"Calm down. What is it?"

She stops in front of me and takes a moment to catch her breath.

"Your parents are here."


	19. Chapter 19

"Mother!" I screech, running into her arms. "Father!"

"Missed you, my little princess." My father murmers as they both hug me. "How are you?"

"I'm great!" I break free from their grasp when I see Maya. She smiles when I engulf her in a tight hug. "Gosh, I missed you so much!" I squeal like a little child that has eaten too many candies.

"What about me?" Joshua asks.

"Eh, you're okay." I reply. Joshua comes towards me and suddenly Maya, who was standing next to me, backs off a little.

Okay...awkward.

Kind Arden is smiling as he greets them with his queen by his side. "I understand you were having problems with the ship." He says to my father.

"Nothing to worry about." He says. "But I'm starving. Is dinner ready yet?"

"Of course." The Queen laughs. "We'll personally escort you to the main hall."

"Hello." Caroline and Farkle come towards Maya. Caroline is smiling. "I'm Caroline. This is my cousin, Farkle."

Maya greets them both with a polite nod and introduces herself. I see Farkle staring at her, not in a romantic kind of way, but in an I-think-you're-nice type of way.

As Caroline's parents lead the way to dinner, I notice Maya and Joshua avoiding each other. She wouldn't even look him in the eye, which was really strange, considering how close they were.

The Duchess, thank god, is absent at dinner. So it's only Caroline, her parents and Farkle, and my parents, Joshua and Maya.

Dinner is a quiet event. The servants bring out the best food, but everybody's tired.

Half an hour later, everyone's receding to their rooms, so I bring Maya to mine. I don't mind sharing with her for the night. It will give us a chance to catch up.

"I don't see Lucas anywhere." She says. "Where is he?"

"Um, sleeping." I say. I open the door and lead her inside. "He's sick. Fever."

"Oh." She doesn't ask anymore questions, so I don't have to tell her anything. I mean I will, eventually, because I can never keep anything from Maya. But not right now, when she's tired.

"You have a really nice view." She says. She draws back the curtain to reveal a small balcony that leads to the indoor garden. The balcony is beautifully crafted, with giant white pillars elaborately carved.

I thank her as I pull something comfortable out of my wardrobe for her to wear. Once she's changed, I do the same, and get the servants to warm up the fireplace.

"U would love to stay up and talk." She yawns. "But I'm tired..."

I want to ask her why she wouldn't talk to Joshua, but I guess that can wait.

"Okay." I say. I climb into bed and she does too, and I pull the covers up. A sleepover, like when we were little.

But little did I know we weren't kids anymore. There was a storm brewing. Question was, who would it destroy?

I wake up in the middle of the night for a glass of water. I get up, surprised to see that Maya isn't next to me.

Rubbing my eyes, I put on my slippers. I'm just about to go look for her when I hear faint sobs coming from the garden.

I realise the balcony door is open, and step though it to find Maya sitting on the edge of a wide carved stone. She was crying.

"Maya?" My concern for her shows in my voice. I make my way to her and wrap my arms around her. "What's wrong?"

She doesn't answer me as quickly, like she taking her time to ponder over that question. She wipes her eyes and straightens up.

"Did you know Joshua is engaged to someone else?" She says.

I gasp. I can't help it. I couldn't imagine Joshua marrying anybody else.

"Who is it?" I ask her.

She shrugs. "Does it matter?"

She leans her head on my shoulder. "I'm afraid he'll agree." She whispers.

I take in a sharp breath. Joshua getting engaged was honestly yesterday's news. I was just surprised it happened all of a sudden.

After all, we were royals. Royals had no chance, none at all. We didn't marry for love, we did it because we had to.

I run my hand up and down Maya's back. "You two will find a way." If I'm being very, very honest, then I would have told her to get over him. But this was Maya we were talking about, and she had already lost way too many things in her life.

She didn't deserve this. He didn't either.

She wipes her eyes. "I'm sorry." She squeaks. "I'm didn't mean to..."

"Stop apologising." I roll my eyes. "I'm here for you, you know?"

She nods slowly. "Always."


	20. Chapter 20

A/N : Dubai is city in Asia (Middle East) I love the facts and information that you guys talk about in your reviews. They're so interesting!

I recently (well, two hours ago) bought a sociology textbook. I'm going to self study the subject (they don't teach it in our school) and give the exam in May. Anyone has any ideas about the subject, or taken it before??

P.S this chapter is TWICE as long as I usually write - Y'all better be thinking of buying me MMs.

"I have an idea." Caroline chirps.

Farkle purses his lips. "Save us the details. Your ideas are always horrible."

Besides me, Lucas chuckles softly as Caroline throws a pillow at Farkle. "Seriously though. The King won't believe us until we have proof, right?"

Farkle nods. "So we get some." He finishes, then grins. "Not bad, cousin."

"How do we do that?" Lucas is sitting up, propped on a few pillows. He's still a little drowsy, injected so he doesn't feet the pain.

"A witness." Says Farkle.

"The lady at the brothel."I realise. "Surely, she must remember them!"

Caroline nods. "Go see her as soon as possible."

Farkle and I share a look. I smile, and Lucas groans. "I wanna come too." He says.

"No can do, brother. You're sick."

Lucas huffs, then turns to me. "Aren't you supposed to prepare for the ball this evening?"

Right. Another ball.

"I'll take care of that." Says Caroline. "Riley, I need you back before sundown, okay?"

"Okay."

Farkle and I both head out of Lucas's room. I go to mine, grabbing my riding gear and my - I mean Caroline's - cloak. Maya is with mother and Queen Anabella, going over the decorations in the ball groom.

I meet Farkle at the stables. This time, we travel through the outskirts of the village, avoiding prying eyes when we can.

As we enter the brothel, I take a shaky breath. Farkle passes me a reassuring smile.

We find the old lady who works at the brothel and tell her everything. Her expression changes from shock to horror.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" she cries.

Farkle sighs. "Please, we just--"

She purses her lips. "I don't want anything to do with you. Everybody knows getting caught up in these things doesn't end well." She has a piece of cloth that holds her graying hair, making her forehead look even more worn out.

Farkle's about to start arguing when I put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. The lady returns back to work, and I push him out of the door.

"What are you doing?" He hisses.

"She's not going to budge." I say. "We'll need another witness."

Farkle licks his lips. "I don't think there's anyone else."

Then an idea pops into my head. I chuckle. "Then I guess we'll just have to make some."

Farkle frowns and looks at me weirdly as we mount our horses that we left outside the brothel. "False witness could result in up to three years in the dungeon, you know that?"

I'm tempted to roll my eyes. "I didn't mean illegally." I tell him. "Ask some of your guards to set watch in the village, or ask the villagers to."

"And what makes you so sure that they don't support my mother?" He asks, pulling on his horse's reigns.

My shoulders drop. "Well," I start to reason. "They're royal guards..."

"That can be bought by ransom." he says. "And the villagers won't support the king, not after the last fire."

"That last fire?" I ask. I turn my horse around, proceeding to travel across the bend in the hill, away from the village and towards the castle.

"The King doesn't..." He's at a loss of words for a minute. Then he continues. "...he doesn't really help the villagers. The tax has increased since he's been on the throne, and that may not mean anything to you and I, but it means less food on the plate for a common family."

"But it's not his fault right?" I ask him.

Farkle shakes his head. "Of course not. Wars have increased, and the tax money is not wasted. But they need someone to blame."

"What's causing these fires?" I gulp, remembering Lucas's real parents died in one.

And that lead me to a stream of conscious thoughts involving Lucas, and whether he was alright or not.

Farkle shrugs. "If it were that easy, the cause would have been eradicated already."

"These things are stupid." I say to Lucas. "Stop pretending like you want to come."

Lucas grins. "I do. My urge to see you look pretty for once is tremendous."

I'm tempted to hit him where it hurts, but instead I get up from where I was sitting next to him on the bed. "Enjoy your alone-time whilst my prince sweeps me off my feet at the ball." I twirl around the room, my hair fanning my face. When I turn to Lucas, he's scowling.

"You're right. These things are stupid." He tells me. He pulls the blanket over his legs. "I'm going to sleep."

"Aw." I chuckle, making my way towards him and ruffling his hair. It's soft and silky, just as I predicted it to be. "Somebody has a temper."

He groans and tells me to stop, and I do so.

"The doctor says I can go, you know." He winks. "My father's orders."

I roll my eyes. "See you there, then."

From his room, I make my way to the ballroom, which is being decorated at the moment. The ball is to celebrate my parents' arrival in Valaire, and everybody is invited. Everybody meaning the Valaire Royal Court.

I mean, if I was a villager, I'd be offended.

Whatever. It's not like the King will listen to me anyways. Groaning, I let Caroline pick out my dress after I tell her everything.

"I think this one will look very pretty on you." She smiles. It's one of the dresses my mother got for me from Mistell, and has a unique pattern. It's white, with a slit in the middle that reveals another material made of blue lace underneath. It's really pretty. But a burden to wear.

Without complaining, mainly because that's what I always do - complain, I put on the dress and Maya does my hair. When Maya and Caroline are both ready, we make our way together to the ballroom, where the festivities have just started.

Mother and Father are already there, and so are Lucas's parents. A few of my father's advisors are there, and also, unfortunately, is the Duchess.

I clear my throat. Maya turns to me. "Stay away from her." I whisper to her, putting on a fake-smile. "She's bad news."

Maya takes one look at the rolls of fat wrapped around her body and unnatural red cheeks and says, "You don't have to tell me twice."

The ball room is draped in golden curtains and soft lights. A band is playing in the corner, and there's a buffet table on the right with a lot of food and even more bouquets of flowers.

We pass a haughty lady in a red gown on the arm of a short man. Caroline makes a face. "She's my mother's third cousin." She snorts. "She's unbelievably greedy."

See? I loved these events. Rich, greedy people stuffing their mouths and dancing. Sign me up.

Once they've passed, I stand at a corner with Maya. She's just about to say something but stops, and me being the curious person that I am, follow her gaze. It's stuck on Joshua, who just entered with Farkle.

She bites her lip, then turns to the ground. "Go dance with him." I tell her.

She shakes her head. "He's not mine anymore." Something in that sentence causes a weight to pull on my heart. Joshua and Maya. They were everything.

Ignoring the hatred I have for the Northern Tribes, I purse my lips and make my way to Joshua.

"When's the wedding?" I whisper-yell, making sure nobody overhears.

"Wha--" he looks taken back.

"Thanks for not telling me." I cross my arms.

He sighs. "I'm sorry." He says. "With everything that's been going on, I just...I just kind of zoned out, you know?"

I notice an evident sadness in his eyes, something that was never there before. For a moment, I'm filled with guilt. "You won't stop loving her." I realize.

He looks at me sincerely. "Of course not. But that doesn't change the fact that I have to get married to someone from the North." His brows pull together in frustration.

"At least you have tonight." I shrug.

Joshua's eyes turn to my father, who's watching Maya warily.

Our Kingdom before love. Our people before blood.

"He won't approve." Joshua says.

"Does he even know?" I huff. He shakes his head then looks at Maya.

She's staring back intently. Only I notice that her hand is shaking.

"I love her." He repeats, almost with determination.

He walks up to her and smiles. "Come with me." He says.

"Where?"

"Away from here."

Then happiness on Maya's face shines as she takes his hand. It would be the two of them. For now.

Once they're gone, I turn my attention back to the ball. The Queen is nice enough to introduce me to some of her family members, and even though I'm hardly interested, I smile and nod politely.

The music begins, and most people begin to dance. Caroline takes the hand of some guy she's known for two seconds, laughing with him and dancing ridiculously well for someone in such uncomfortable shoes.

King Arden claps his hands and gives a very elaborate speech. I would like to repeat it, but I stopped listening after he introduced his sister, the Duchess.

The music changes and so does the dancing. A man makes his way to me, handsome and immaculately dressed, and asks for a dance.

I oblige, and he takes my hand and leads to the middle of the ballroom. It's now a slow dance, and partners keep changing. He twirls me around just as everyone else is doing to their partners, then a half circle to the right, where we partner up with someone new.

My next partner is a tall guy, hardly seventeen with a flop of brown hair on his forehead. He smiles amusingly and takes my hand. We follow the beat of the music until we have to switch again.

I twirl to the right, smiling as I do so. As I turn around, I came face to face with my partner.

My eyes widen. "You're supposed to be in bed!" I whisper to him urgently.

His smile is fake and tight-lipped. "Just listen to me." He whispers back.

I nod. As he places his hand on my waist, I find his other hand and entwine our fingers. His movements are slow and unbalanced, but he's dealing through, enough not to cause any suspicion.

"I think the guards are back." He says.

"What!" I scream, then immediately cover my mouth. Luckily, the music is loud and no one hears anything. "Why?!"

Lucas shrugs. "This maybe our last chance to get them." He says. "We need a plan, and we need it quick."

I nod. "Count me in."

He suddenly dips me, and leans in close. "Five minutes. Meet me outside."

I nod. He takes my hand and twirls me, and our partners change.

Three minutes later, the dance is over and everyone is making their way to the buffet table, ready to get their hands on the food.

I look around for an exit route. Unfortunately my mother comes to me before I can make my escape, and introduces me to some advisor's wife I've never heard of.

I smile through it. The lady is one of those people who talk a lot, and by the time she's done, I'm running out of the hall at an incredible speed.

Lucas meets me down the hall. He's leaning toward a wall and frowning.

"What's wrong?" I ask. I notice several shawls on a shelf by the corner and drape one across my shoulder. It has the words T.L engraved on it along with the Mistell insignia, so I'm pretty sure it's my mother's.

Lucas turns to me, like he just noticed me. How could he miss a crazy loon running like that? Something must be occupying his mind.

"Nothing." He murmurs. We start walking down the halls. "Our guards or the servants didn't see anything." He says quietly. "How could they come in unnoticed?"

I shrug. "Where did you see them?"

"From the window out in the courtyard."

And that's where we go. There's no one around, not even the occasional servant passing by. Outside, stars glitter in the vast blanket of darknes, and the moon hangs like a lamp.

It's cold - freezing - but at least it's dry. My grip on the shawl tightens. The courtyard is long, built in a rectangular pattern. The border consists of a pavement and a few pillars, and in the middle there's a small pond and a fountain.

"I'll check up front." Lucas says. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'm not a kid." I answer. I was tired of being treated like one.

He gives me a tight-lipped smile and heads off. I lick my lips nervously as I look around.

My head swarms with ideas. What the heck were we thinking, coming out here alone like that? Lucas had a dagger, and all I had was dirt and flowers.

My head turns towards the door. Not too late to go back and enjoy some hot chocolate.

I sigh. Why did I always end up in these situations?

I look around. Nothing. No sound except the wind fluttering and my footsteps.

I'm just about to head back when a moving body jumps from the roof in front of me at an alarming speed.

The man is dressed in all black, with vicious eyes.

I scream.


	21. Chapter 21

He holds the sword to my throat. I let out a strangled cry, trying to find a grip on something.

"Tell your father." He hisses. "That by dawn tommorrow the deal ends." My arms are tightly bound by his weight. I can't breathe.

He has the dragon symbol on his left wrist, and I immediately recognize it as a sacred symbol of one of the Northern Tribes. So it wasn't the Duchess this time.

"Let go of her." A calm voice comes from behind me. It's Lucas.

Out of sheer anger, the man's grip on me tightens. His sword starts to cut into my skin by just a few millimetres.

"I've said what I came to say." In a second, his sword is retrieved and I fall to the ground, gasping for breath.

Lucas attacks him, but the man is a good fighter and easily defends himself. Before Lucas can aim again, he's gone.

Lucas takes a shaky breath and kneels next to me on the ground. He puts his hands on my shoulders. The shawl has fallen to the ground.

"Are you okay?" He asks calmly. I nod slowly. My eyes are wet. I wipe at them furiously, but the tears won't go away.

"Shh..." He murmurs. He pulls me closer until I'm wrapped in his arms. My tears stain his shirt but I don't think he cares. His hand is on my back, gently stroking my skin.

"I'm okay." I whisper. I close my eyes and concentrate, pulling myself together. "Why is my life always in danger?" I mutter.

"Perks of being a royal." He chuckles softly.

By this time, somebody hears the commotion and calls the King.

Both our parents come running, mine more shocked than Lucas's.

"What the hell is going on?!" Lucas's father's eyes widen. "GUARDS!" He yells.

Twenty or so guards follow his order, chasing the veiled man. But little do they know he's long gone.

Twenty minutes later, we're all in the library.

Maya hands me a cup of hot chocolate and I thank her, scooting closer to the fire. Caroline and Farkle stand besides me.

"What was the deal?!" Joshua yells at father. "You never told me the entire thing, did you?!"

"Calm down." He answers. His grip on the table is tight. "One of the... one of the terms was to put forward two people from both the royal families to Kila."

I take a shaky breath. As hostages. Two royal hostages to Kila, the most ruthless leader of the tribes.

"I'll do it." I say. I get up from my chair abruptly and pace across the room. "It's the only way to avoid war."

I don't have time to think. So I don't think. All I know is that thousands of lives will be killed if this deal isn't made. We don't have another option. It can't be Joshua, it can't be Lucas. They're both in line for their thrones.

"No." Lucas is shaking his head. "There has to be another way."

"There isn't." I say to him as gently as I can. He takes my hand and squeezes it.

"I can't let you do that." He repeats. He turns to his father. "Let me go."

The king frowns. "Absolutely ridiculous. You're the only living heir!"

Lucas's eyes shift from me to his father. The atmosphere is tense. "You know I'm not of pure blood." He says. "You think the Valaire court will accept me after they find out?"

The King's eyes narrow. My mother looks at me warily, and I turn away from her gaze.

"Don't do anything stupid." He tells him. "I wont--"

"My coronation is weeks away. We'll have plenty of time to escape."

My heart is beating fast. Escape? Was it that simple?

"THIS ISN'T A GAME!" His father roars. "You think they won't kill you the minute you step on that boat?!"

Lucas shakes his head. "Then we won't be useful to them." He says. Even now, I spot a faint smile dancing on his lips. This boy was just way too much.

He walks over to his father and places his hand on his arm. "We'll find a way." He says.

I want to say I'm scared. But I can't. Not when thousands of lives are at stake.

Be strong. This is what you're supposed to do.

No matter how much I think of being strong, implying it is another story. That night is restless. I can't sleep at all, and even the faintest of the wind is disturbing.

Maya is next to me, sound asleep. She's tired, and it's well deserved. At the back of my mind somewhere I'm thinking about her and Joshua never being able to have a future together.

Thousands of innocent lives. I take a shaky breath.

I'm just breathing. I'm not alive. Not truly. All I have is a beating heart.

I don't get to change my destiny. Tomorrow morning I would be a hostage.

With trembling feet I get off the bed. Farkle and Caroline argued with the king earlier today, begging him to reconsider.

They wanted to take our place.

I laugh humorlessly. As if we would let them.

The floor is cold and I'm barefoot. I slip on my nightgown and my slippers and grab a small candle stand.

I don't know where I'm going. I roam the halls, eventually ending up in the garden.

There are two people already there, and they're arguing.

"You can't be serious!" Farkle hisses. "You're next in line for the throne. I can't let you--"

I hide behind a pillar, afraid that they might see me.

"I have to do this." Lucas is saying to him. "I can't let Riley go, I can't."

Farkle sighs dejectedly. "And she won't stay either." His voice drops. "If something happens to her... God forbid it does, but.." he takes a deep breath. "Just listen to me okay?"

He pauses as if he's afraid to say something. "What if you don't make it out of there? There would be no coronation, no marriage, no alliance--"

Wait. Back up. Marriage? I pull my brows together. Who's getting married? Surely not Lucas...

"I can't let her go there alone." Repeats Lucas firmly. Somewhere inside of me, a faint warmness begins to glow. I wasn't alone. He had my back.

Farkle crosses his arm. "Because she's your betrothed, or the future queen?"

I can't help letting out a small gasp. Betrothed? To Lucas? Since when?! I clench my fists. My father has a lot to explain.

"Both." He says.

That's it. I can't stop the anger fueling my desire to go over and yell at him. And that's exactly what I do.

"BETROTHED?!" I scream at him.

Lucas 's eyes widen. "Were you spying on us?!"

Farkle just looks smug. Did he know I was there? Because he didn't look the least bit surprised...

But I don't care right now.

"I'm just going to... um, go." Farkle says awkwardly. He walks out of the garden, leaving me and Lucas and the chilly midnight wind.

"Did you always know?" I ask him, crossing my arms.

He bites his lip. "I couldn't tell you." He says. "Our fathers' orders."

"Dammit!" I scream in frustration. Those two were always up to something.

He scratches his head awkwardly. "Would marrying me be so bad?"

I look up at him and blink. He looks vulnerable, tired because of the lack of sleep. For the first time, I see the situation through his eyes.

I immediately try to calm down. "No, it's just...I'm sorry, it's just surprising." I stutter.

The corners of his mouth twist upwards. "No big deal. I understand."

He leads to me a small bench and motions at me to take a seat. I do, and he sits next to me.

"When did you find out?" I ask him.

"A couple of days before we met." He answers. "I was just as angry as you were. Of course, that changed when I met you."

A smile is displayed on his face. After everything, I can't help smile back. It's very faint, hardly noticeable.But it's there, and it's not fake.

"When is the, um...?"

"The wedding?" He asks. His hand finds mine, and he starts playing with my fingers. "I don't know. Maybe after coronation."

The wind ruffles my hair. Did I really want this? To be Lucas's wife? Ruler of both my country and his?

I don't know if I'm ready to become someone's wife yet, but I'm glad that someone is Lucas. I care for him, more than I'd like than admit.

"Think we can get through this?"

"Why not?" He says. "Thus is just another challenge. It's easy getting into their land, so it must be easy escaping also. And we've got an army for backup."

I shut my eyes.

That thought doesn't make me feel any better.

"Hey." He says, taking my face in his hands and forcing me to look at him. "We've got each other." His eyes are blazing as he's trying to convince me.

I nod, pursing my lips.

And the warm glow in my heart erupts again, and for a minute I'm at peace.

"We'll be okay." He says. Then he leans in, and places a lingering kiss on my cheek.

His lips are warm and soft as opposed to the bitter winter air and the kiss causes a flock of butterflies to flutter in my stomach.

I was alive when I was with him. Truly and fully alive.

I pull my body towards his and rest my head on his shoulder. He seems surprised, but eases after a moment.

His arm wraps around me. "Riley?" He says softly.

"Yeah?" I close my eyes. The weight of everything that happened today is too much on my shoulders.

"Will you marry me?"

I smile faintly.

"I'll think about it." I reply.

The last thing I hear before falling asleep is his soft laughter.

A/N : hey guys! I've decided to post this book on wattpad as a proper novel, not a fanfiction. There will be some minor changes and additional chapters, but nothing that would tamper with the main plot.

Also, for the cast, maybe Colton Haynes and Antonina Vasylchenko? I don't know.. Tell me what you guys think!


	22. Chapter 22

My mother is not allowed to come to the port. Neither is Maya. Nor Queen Annabella.

As we said our goodbyes this morning, my heart felt heavy and I was gut-wrenched. When would I see them again?

My mom handed me her warmest shawl. Her pendant was safely resting on my neck.

Now, at the port, I know I did the right thing.

Dark clouds swarm overhead, reflecting my mood. Lucas is grim, but he holds out his hand for me to take. I do.

"Where are the prisoners?!" The menacing voice yells.

I try my hardest not to curse. Lucas and I step forward, and I try to look as brave as I can muster.

The man smirks. "The future King himself." He laughs, turning to King Arden. "My, my, you did keep up your end of the bargain."

He's in his dark robes, hiding his face and his hair too.

The King's eyes narrow. "Not a scratch on them."

"I'm sorry, Your Highness." He says mockingly. "But that's not your call now."

The man steps closer to us, along with two other men. Like him, their faces are concealed.

"You have to keep up your end of the bargain too." I find myself saying. "No more wars."

"Princess." His tone is light. There's no respect there though. "The marriage has not taken place yet."

I purse my lips. Joshua and Kila's sister's marriage.

I clench my fists. "Take them to the ship." The man tells the others.

One of them holds back my hands, and two hold Lucas with a tight grip. I try to squirm away, but they're strong.

The last thing I see is my father's worried face. He seems to be saying something, but I don't quite catch it.

We're roughly pushed up the stairs onto the deck of a huge ship. There are five other members of the crew, all waiting for the leader to give his commands.

The man holding me roughly jerks me forward, and I fall onto the planked floor.

The impact knocks my breath out. I want to scream, but no voice comes out.

He ties my hands in shackles, and waits for the captain's next orders.

I squeeze my eyes shut. Lucas is on the floor next to me, receiving the same treatment.

He gives me a determined look. He wasn't going to break. I shouldn't either.

"Put these two in the cage." The captain says in a deep voice. It's the same voice that spoke to me yesterday. The same voice that threatened me.

We're roughly pulled back up and led downstairs. There's a small storage area at the back of the ship, and in the middle there's a...an actual cage.

They unlock the door and shove both me and Lucas in, locking it behind them before they leave.

"Are you okay?" Lucas asks once they're gone.

Concern is evident in his eyes. "Yes." I say.

I look around. There are many cages, and if they're there for animals or prisoners, I'm not sure.

I try to sit up, my head swarming. "When and how exactly do we get out of here?"

The door is locked, and I doubt there's anyone guarding it. All hands are needed on deck.

Lucas's eye travel to every single object in the dim-lighted room. He's analysing, trying to find a loop-hole.

"We have to wait until we arrive up north." He says. "If we try escaping now, that'll just give them the excuse they need for war."

"And what makes you think that won't happen if we escape?"

Lucas flops down, using the metal bars on the cage to rest his back. "The deal will be signed by then. If they do attack, they won't survive."

"Huh?" I frown. I was stupid, okay? I didn't understand politics.

"Winter's coming." He tries to give me the hint.

Oh.

Winter was when some of the people migrated further East, to avoid the harsh conditions. "Their numbers would be low." I whisper.

He nods. "They won't attack us because they can't." He says. "With Mistell and Valaire's alliance, they don't stand a chance."

He clanks his shackles hard against the cage.

The door swings open and for a minute, I think we're in trouble, but then a voice grunts, "Where do you want the stowaways?"

"LET ME GO!" A familiar voice shreaks.

I turn to Lucas. He's equally surprised.

Two people are being forced into another cage, just like we were.

"Did ye check 'em for weapons?" The first guard asks.

"None." Comes the reply. They lock the gate of the cage and scramble out of the room. This time, they're guarding the door.

Lucas curses. "What are you doing her?!" He booms in anger.

Caroline brushes dirt away from her dress.

"Trying to help you." She mutters. Next to her, Farkle groans.

Lucas curses again. He pinches the bridge of his nose, trying to calm down. "What good will this do us? You thought they wouldn't have caught you the moment you decided to climb on-board?!"

I refrain from telling him their are guards behind the door. Right now, I don't think he cares.

"Not really." Caroline shrugs if everything is normal, and for a moment, I envy her.

Because nothing's normal anymore. Not to me.

For a minute, everything's silent. I lean back too, trying to avoid the sick feeling that crawls up my stomach when the ship starts moving.

This was real. There was no going back.

Then Caroline speaks up. "What's the plan?" She asks.

I shrug. There was none.

Caroline winks as if she understands. "Go with the flow. Got it."

I'm incredibly pissed at her, but I don't show it because I know the look in her eyes. It's the same one I have.

She's trying to be optimistic, but there's a certain amount of fear she's trying to push back. She's scared too, just like the rest of us. The only difference is that she doesn't show it.

My eyes begin to close. I don't realize how tired I am, or hungry. Giving up on the first option, I begin to close my eyes.

Lucas scoots closer until he's besides me. Just like last night, I rest my head on his shoulder.

"Everything will be okay."

It has to be.


	23. Chapter 23

A/n: Surprise POV. Happy Birthday Devin 3 how old are you now? And California is anything but boring.

~ Caroline ~

I don't know how many hours we've been travelling for. I slept through most of the day, followed by Farkle and Riley, then Lucas.

Unofficially, one of us was always keeping guard. Which was impractical, because we were imprisoned ourselves but it helped us feel safer.

We were a team.

Twice through the day, the guards came in and served us food. Actually, served would be a very fancy word. All they did was chug it towards dried bread which and inedible gravy.

There would always be a guard -sometimes even two - outside the door. Although this didn't change what we said to each other, any thoughts of escaping didn't reach our tongues.

I noticed a window set high on one of the walls. It was small and circular, and the only way I could tell whether it was day or night.

The captain visits us as it's getting dark. He's not wearing his robes, so his face isn't concealed.

He glances over at us and nods approvingly at the guards. Only one of them stays when the captain closes the door.

He has dark hair, almost midnight black. Stubble across his jaw, a lean nose. The only reason I recognise him is because of his eyes. In this light, they're a sharp brown.

He slides a stool across the length of the room and takes a seat.

The first thing he notices is my food, untouched.

"Eat." He says montonously. "You don't want to drain yourself out." Like before, there's no emotion in his voice.

Now I'm angry. I tried to be optimistic, I really did, but I've never been treated like this in my entire life. They put us in cages like dogs. Feed us like we're animals.

In one quick movement, the gravy is thrown across the room. It lands near the captain's feet with a splat.

I don't regret anything.

"Too bad." He clears his throat.

"I don't want any funny business." He raises his voice and speaks to all of us. "This is my ship and I won't hesitate to twist your guts with a knife."

Lucas is sulking in the corner, angry and annoyed. Farkle looks sick, and Riley grits her teeth like she's about to let go of a string of curses.

"Aren't you a little too young to be a captain?" I sneer. The guy was hardly nineteen. I want to tell myself to shut up, but my brain doesn't want to listen.

If anyone should be angry, it should be Riley and Lucas. But anger lead to impracticle thoughts and actions and they knew that was something we couldn't afford to do right now.

And my temper would cool down fast. Atleast I hoped it would. But it was understandable. I hated being forced, and everyone knew that.

The captain smirks. In one effortless motion he's up and unlocking our cage.

His gaze fixes upon me and I freeze on the spot. He has that look in his eye, like he's the hunter and I'm his prey.

He whips out a silver knife from his back pocket. He corners me until my back hits the cage with a thud, and holds the knife to my throat. The blade feels cold against my skin.

"Yeah?" He sneers. "You can thank your daddy for that." He says mockingly.

I want to hit him for saying that. I clench my fists, desperately trying to keep calm.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!" Lucas booms.

The captain let's go of me and steps back.

"You." He says. "You don't even know what's going on, do you? You're just the King's pawn."

I furrow my brows. I will not be taunted like that.

"Why don't you tell me then, if you get some time off of killing people."

He's angry now. "I don't kill without reason."

"Those people you murdered in Mistell." Riley raises her voice. "They were innocent!"

Lucas wraps his hand protectively around her arm.

"So we're my people!" He yells back. "What did they ever do wrong, huh?!"

Riley is fuming. "You're accusing our parents of treason." She says.

The Captain's face is impassive. "So what if I am? They deserve it."

Riley grips the iron bars until her knuckles turn white. "You don't know what you're talking about."

The Captain sits back on the stool, crossing his arms. "Yeah? I'm not the only one."

Lucas gently pushes her back. "He's just trying to get inside your head." He murmers to her.

"Am I?" He smirks. "Do you even know what your father does? Do you know how much pain and suffering he causes to my people, every single day?" He gets up. "No. No-one does."

With that thought, he storms out of the room.

What the hell just happened?

"He's lying." Lucas's hands are clenched.

Farkle shifts his gaze, like he knows something. God knows why he's been so silent this entire time.

"Just...everyone calm down okay?" He sighs.

Riley flops on the ground. "I'm so tired of listening to people and judging what's right or wrong." She says. "This whole thing is a maze without an exit."

"You can say that again." I mutter.

But I wonder... Farkle knew something.

It's a couple of hours before Lucas falls asleep with Riley next to him.

I turn to Farkle. He's staring off into empty space.

"Did you know what that guy was talking about?" I whisper to him.

Farkle looks at me with innocent eyes. "Nothing I can prove."

I crawl next to him. "Tell me anyways?"

Farkle turns on his side so he's facing me. "A couple of months ago, I... heard your father talking to one of his advisors."

"What did he say?" I frown.

Farkle shrugs. "He was asking them what to do with the prisoners."

"What happened?"

Farkle purses his lips. He screws his eyes shut, and when he opens them, they're wet.

"I followed him to the castle dungeons." He whispers. "He killed them. Each and every one."

"War prisoners?"

"No, Carol." He stammers. "They were innocent. The only crime they commited was being from the North."

I don't want to believe him. I can't. I shouldn't.

But my cousin doesn't lie.

I take a deep breath. "Perhaps he had good reason."

"He ordered troops to move up North, even though that was against what Mistell and Valaire had decided upon." He looks back at the ground. "I wouldn't blame the captain for hating my uncle. I already do."

My brows pull together. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

His shoulders rise and fall. "He's your father. I know you two don't get along well, but...he's your father, Caroline. And the King. How could I?"

I bite my bottom lip. So that means the captain wasn't wrong to hate my father.

I mean, I would.


	24. Chapter 24

~ Caroline ~

When the first morning's light appears and the guards change their duties, I clank my empty bowl loudly against the iron bars.

I catch Farkle's eye, and he gives me a knowing look. But there's also a warning there.

The two guards open their door and look at me irritably. "What's all the noise 'bout? Can't a man get some rest round 'ere?"

I put on an innocent face. "I need to use the bathroom." I tell them.

The man looks at his partner. "Got no buckets in 'ere?"

I clank the bowl harder, driving the two men insane. Lucas and Riley have woken up, looking at me with fear and confusion.

"Gee, mate. Just let 'er go."

The first man turns to me, producing a set of keys from his pocket.

"No funny business." He says. He unlocks the cage and yanks me out. My shackles are tight, the skin underneath is red and blistered.

As soon as I'm out in hallway, I scream, kicking the guards and trying to let them let go of my shackles.

I push one of them back and manage to escape and run up the stairs, but alas, more guards seem to be waiting.

They take hold of my shackles. One of them pushes me to the ground.

But I've achieved what I wanted.

"You really are stupid." The captain comes towards me, leaving his position by the wheel. "You thought you could have escaped?"

I'm abruptly pulled back up. "No." I say determinately.

I look him in the eye, and silently ask him to understand. All I wanted was his attention. Which I've got now.

He looks back at me. He nods to his crew. "Take her to my quarters." He says.

Two guards take hold of my arms, and lead me down the hall into the captain's quarters.

The door is opened and I'm jerked inside.

"Leave." The captain mutters. The guards obey, closing the door behind them.

The room has a single bed, plain furniture. A small window, and a tray of food in the corner.

The captain leans against a wall. "You continue to surprise me." He says. "What is it you want?"

"Information." I clear my throat. Now more than ever, I need to come across strong. "Has my father taken your men as prisoners?"

"Yes." He says "And not only men."

My heart sinks.

My father killed. Took innocent lives.

"Was the act justified?"

He looks at me daringly. He has a strong Northern accent. "No." He hisses. "It was not justified. We kill only when we have to. Unlike your people."

He's challenging me, asking me how loyal I am to my Kingdom. To my father.

"And taking my brother and Riley as hostages? What good will that do?"

"Leverage." He says. He guides me to a small table at the back, where a map is already laid out.

He draws a line that separates the North from the two kingdoms. "Trade routes closed."

He draws an X next to the mountains. "An entire village wiped out."

He makes a circle next to his first line. "Trespassers who were migrating south captured."

I glance up at him. His attention is on the map.

"Tell me, Princess, do you still believe we're the bad guys?"

What am I supposed to believe, anyways?

Am I supposed to betray my own country?

His head turns to me.

"What will the alliance do?" I ask him. "Will they not continue to kill your kind anyways?"

He shakes his head. "Not while we have their children. Not while the alliance is sealed through marriage."

"Alliances break." I tell him.

"It's the only chance we have." He says. "They have blood on their hands. Our blood. My people's blood."

He steps back and clenches his fists. "Lori mua qadantay." He growls.

My father has a lot of explaining to do.

We arrive by the next noon. The ship stops and we're brought on deck, still in shackles.

I look around. There are no other ships, and the ground itself looks deserted.

A small strip of land leads into a dense forest.

"The prisoners remain shackled!" The Captain announces. His eyes dart to Lucas and Riley. It's not me and Farkle he's worried about, it's them.

Five guards exit the ship with us and the captain. I don't know why he bothers - it's not like we can escape anyways.

"We should reach the village by nightfall." I hear him saying.

Boy did we have a lot of area to cover.

The amazing feeling of the sand beneath my feet didn't last long. Soon, we were amongst the trees.

I look over to Riley and Lucas. They're trying to communicate in hushed whispers. Farkle is standing besides me, with an armed guard holding him.

"MAKE ONE MORE SOUND AND I'LL SLIT YOUR THROAT." The captain suddenly yells. Riley looks at him with wide eyes.

"Try." She mumbles. But she's too far, and the captain doesn't hear.

He leads the way, without any map. He must have the place memorized, although I can't fathom how. Everywhere I look, there are endless trees and their canopy is too high to make out any land.

The air smells like dew. My feet step on the occasional dead leaves, crackling them.

"Where are we going?" Farkle asks loudly.

"Kila's village." Right. The guy who's sister Joshua is supposed to marry.

We walk on for hours until my feet grow sore. I'm pretty sure my heels are scraped by now.

The guards talk among themselves, in the same language the captain spoke in last night. It's one of the ancient languages of our kingdoms, but I'm not sure which one.

There are no animals except a few birds soaring in the sky. Some of the trees are bare courtesy of the approaching winter.

My thoughts turn back to Valair before I have to scold myself. They weren't what they seemed to be.

But was I really ready to embrace that?

"Stop." I tell the captain. Everyone of us except Lucas is tired. I'm panting. Riley is wiping her forehead. Lucas just seems pissed. But that's not new.

A guard pushed me to the ground, taking out his sword.

"Sheesh, calm down." I say, raising my hands in the air.

"She's right." The captain sighs. "Set camp above the hill."

What hill?

The captain takes a swift turn to the right. The canopy gives way to a cliff, with makeshift rocks underneath is serving as a cave.

"Sir?" Asks one guard. "Feir luana cavie?"

"Too dangerous." The captain mutters back. "We'll be safer on top."

Except getting there is another issue. It's very steep, and the back of my legs burn with every step I take.

One of the guards smirks. "Never walked so much, huh Your Majesty?"

I want to slap him. No. Because I've never been kidnapped and forced to walk the length of an entire forest before this very day.

By the time we're there, the light has already begun to fade.

I flop to the ground, ready to never get up again. My back rests against a lone tree in the clearing. I want to talk to the others, but Farkle is far away, and Lucas and Riley are being constantly watched.

The guards set camp and get the fire going. One of us hands us dinner. It's not much, but I gulp it down anyways.

The fire crackles, giving a halo of warmth. My breathing shallows as my eyes begin to grow tired.

Perhaps I'll wake up and this will all be a dream.


	25. Chapter 25

~ Riley ~

I'm rudely awoken by a guard prodding me with a branch. Cursing him to the depths of the underworld, I get up.

The others are already awake. Lucas and Farkle are deep in conversation, and Caroline is sipping from a satchel of water.

The Captain sits in the corner, carving a piece of wood from his knife. I'm close enough to see it - dazzling silver with an embellished cover. It even has initials carved on it but I can't make them out from here.

We're fed, and I can't deny the food this time. Neither does Caroline.

She passes me a small smile, and it's comforting knowing that there are people who understand what you're going through. It doesn't make it any less painful though.

He ordered troops to move up North, even though that was against what Mistell and Valaire had decided upon.

They don't know that I know- Caroline and Farkle.

I wasnt sleeping when Farkle told her. Neither was Lucas. The two of us had heard everything.

And frankly, I didn't know how to feel about it.

Had my father known?

When we're done with breakfast, the guards clear away all the stuff, and we're ready to leave again.

This time we cross the hill and take a different route. It's much narrower, with branches hanging directly over us and sometimes the guards have to cut their way through.

Boy I really hoped they knew where they were going.

Lucas falls into step with me. I notice the skin underneath his shackles is angry red, blood seeping out. He's been trying to get rid of them.

"Your wrists--"

"Don't worry about it." He murmurs. "The shackles won't come off anyways."

"See that knife?" He asks me. "Maybe if I can get close enough--"

"Lucas." I sigh. "You know you can't."

He throws me a blatant look. "What do you want, Riley? For me to accept the fact that these people are good?"

"That's not what I said." I frown.

"Look at it this way." He tells me. "You don't trust my father, I get that. But what about your father, Riley? Don't you trust him too?"

My eye flicker around. The guards are doing their own duties, too far away to listen. "Something's not right." I tell him. "The day that... the day that this declaration was signed, my father didn't show anyone the parchment."

"What do you mean?"

I glance up at him. In the early morning light, his eyes seem to be gleaming. "He always gets a second from my mother, or his advisors. Always. Only this time, it was between him and King Arden."

My father knew. And he lied, making our people believe they were the good guys.

That the tribes were ruthless savages who only knew how to hunt and kill other people.

I look at the Captain now. He's arguing with Caroline. But no weapons have been drawn out yet, so we're on the safe side.

I go over to where Caroline is and using both my hands - I really don't have a choice - drag her back.

"What was that about?"

She huffs, glaring at the guy who's apparently carrying a knife.

"Nothing." She mutters.

Farkle comes over and tries to talk some sense into her. She calms down a little, but looks ready to kill the next person that steps in her way.

In the distance, I hear the soaring of birds. Soon, hundreds of them fill the sky.

"The last of the birds are migrating south." Farkle says. "For the winter."

"Winter over here must be pretty intense." Lucas murmurs. He's playing with his shackles again. I notice a small twig in his hand. He's broken it into two and must be using that to try and take the shackles off.

I'm just thanking my lucky stars the chains are unattached. Now that would be a whole other challenge.

The branches begin to clear. The trees are still pretty much the same, just on a wider distance.

"Just 'nother hour." I hear one of the guards say to his friend. "Then we can throw 'em in the dungeon."

I hear a hiss by my side. Lucas purses his lips as the little twig falls from his hand. Blood pours out of the wounds, angry red.

"Would you stop?!" I whisper to him. "You could get an infection."

He doesn't say anything. Instead, he glares at me.

"Could I have some water?" I ask one of the guards. I throw a "Please?" in there for the heck of it.

The guard gives me a dirty look, but throws the satchel at me anyways.

Since Lucas and I are the last ones - the guard way at the back doesn't count - I can wash his wound without suspicion. My own wrists are red and scratched, but not nearly as bad as his.

When I'm done, he looks at me sincerely."Thank you." He says.

"Just don't try that again."

He bumps my shoulder with his. "Can't promise you that."

I look at him determinately. "You and I both know we can't escape. Not with everyone against us. They would hunt us down in seconds."

He shrugs. "Once we're in the dungeons, we have no chance."

"You really believe..."

He gives me a blatant look. Of course. The dungeons.

We're so screwed.

The sun is at its highest by the time we arrive at the village. Not that it matters - it's covered by clouds anyways.

The Captain waits until most of the guards have passed. I realise he's waiting to talk to us.

"Don't attract any attention to yourself." He barks.

Caroline rolls her eyes. That girl sure has guts.

"Don't worry." Farkle says. He crosses his arms. "We didn't come here to make friends."

The captain leads us from the back way just to be sure. I don't see the point. Nobody's out in the streets anyways, except a few children playing with a ball.

"I'll take them." Says the captain to the guards. "Go to the commons as soon as you can."

One of the guard eyes is suspiciously. "Are you sure?"

The Captain scowls. "Don't question my authority."

The guard lowers his head. "Of course not. I'm sorry."

The guards head to one the the larger stoned houses, and the Captain leads us the end of the village, where a small castle stands, made of red bricks. It's home to ivy and moss, which have grown through the windows and clamberedup the walls.

"You're going to be put into the dungeons until your trial." Says the captain. He only has one guard at his disposal, and I'm thinking of how easy it would be to run away. But chances of getting caught were high too.

"We didn't do anything wrong!" Farkle yells.

He takes a back gate and we're forced to follow. It opens up to a set of dark stairs, old and crumbling.

"I don't care." He snaps. He grabs a lamp hanging on a hook by the side and hands it to the guard. The guard leads the way, with us in the middle and the Captain at the back.

"Your trial is in two days. You'll be presented in front of our leader and he will decide your fate."

The stairway ends and a narrow alley begins. The dungeon looks like it was carved from stone, with huge chunks still serving as walls. It's dark and cold, not to mention wet.

Guards patrol the place, at least a dozen. I realise instead of separate cells, there are units, with each units containing mesh wire wall to keep the prisoners separated.

Speaking of prisoners, they howl and clank their shackles as hard as they can against the iron bars when they see the Captain approaching.

"Ignore them." Says the guard to the Captain. I noticed he didn't come here often. Only when he had to.

The guard produces a set of keys and opens one of the units. We're all lead -not so nicely - into separate cells. The gate is closed bolted.

The wire mesh, although it may not seem this way, is very strong. Fortunately, I can still see the others through it.

The guard and the Captain leave without another word.

I walk back until my head hits the wall. It's made of rock, rough and full of ridges.

To my left is another prisoner. He was sleeping, but woke up when we came in.

For a minute, everything's quiet.

He gets up and looks me straight in the eye. "Princess." He whispers.

I frown. "How do you know me?"

His mouth forms into a small smile. "I come from your land."

Which means he was taken prisoner too. Maybe he could help us.

"What's your name?" I ask him.

"They used to call me Zay."

I sit back against the rock. My breathing is just as heavy as it was when they threw us in here.

"What are you doing here, Zay?"

He take his hood off. He's wearing a lot of layers, but still shivering.

His shoulders sink. "I came here as a spy." He says. "From Mistell."

"Did..did my father send you?"

He nods. "I had done what he wished, got the information. I was just returning home when they caught me."

My shoulders sink. "How long is your prison sentence?"

He bites his lip. "Ten more years." He says."Then I'll be able to see the stars again, feel the sun's heat."

Ten years was a very long time. I wonder what information he had got, which seemed to be so bad they had to keep him locked up.

"Now tell me, Princess. What are you doing here?"


	26. Chapter 26

"It's going to be alright." I tell Lucas. I'm so sick of saying these words, but I'm also kind of hopeless.

He rests his head against the wire separating us. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" My head snaps to his direction.

"Everything." He sighs. "I'm so tired of all this."

"Can't say that I'm not either." I answer. "But you heard the captain, we have a chance to speak with Kila. And if he's like everyone says he is, then he'll let us go."

That was the best case scenario. I dreaded to think what the worst one was. Locked in a prison for the rest of my life didn't really seem to cut it.

I rest my head against the wire, the same as Lucas so our foreheads touch. He brings his hand up and touches my fingertips.

"For hope." He whispers. "For love."

I recognise what it is. A quote from one of the ancient books.

"For hope." I repeat. "For love."

He let's out a long breath. "I'm done once this is over." He says. "Done listening to my father, to his advisors."

"What will you do?" Farkle asks him. "You can't go against the Valaire Court."

Caroline's head jerks up. "You guys expect to go back there and live normal lives?!" She snaps. "Nothing's normal anymore."

Don't remind me.

"What do you want us to do?" Lucas asks Caroline."Stay here?"

For a minute Caroline is silent, like she's seriously debating the matter.

The guards unlock the door and we're hauled out. "Our leader's waiting for you."

They grab the chains of our shackles and drag us up another set of stairs. It leads to a corridor, with a set of three rooms.

We don't enter either. Another hallway at the end leads us to a pair of huge iron gates.

They are opened, and we're forced to make our way inside.

It's the Northern version of a throne room. A carpet leads to the middle, where the leader sits on a bronze throne. There are five advisors by his side, and surrounding them are guards. Next to Kila is the Captain.

Kila has braids in his hair and wears course clothing. His face looks destructive.

"Ah, the prisoners." He greets in a rough voice. His tone is anything but friendly.

Our shackles are removed.

"I must say, I admire your bravery." He turns to Caroline and Farkle. "Sneaking in on my ship like that. To what? Protect your friends?"

Caroline stares at him, but doesn't say anything.

"Foolish compassion and love for your country." His eyes roam the four of us. "You would do anything to protect it, won't you?"

Caroline steps forward. "Not since we've heard that they murder the innocent." She says, her voice calm and collected. "Are the allegations true?"

The leader clearly doesn't expect this. Neither does Lucas.

"Yes." He says. "The outcome is worse every year. That's why we've taken matters into our own hands."

"You don't need to--" begins Farkle, but Lucas interrupts him.

"Look." He says. "My coronation is in a few weeks. Let me work this out."

Kila's eyes come to rest on him. "That's exactly what your father said twenty years ago."

Lucas looks taken back.

"He's not his father." I say determinately.

I'm not sure, but I think I see the Captain crack a small smile.

Kila sits back. "The delegation will--"

"The delegation will do nothing!" Caroline screeches. "What you need is my father off the throne."

"And you can guarantee that no more of my people will be killed by yours?"

"And vice versa." Lucas nods.

Kila looks pleased. "We have a deal."

"And the marriage and all the money you're taking from our countries..." I trail on, hoping he'll get the hint.

Kila scowls. "On no." He smiles ruefully. "If anything, it will only strengthen the deal."

My shoulders sink. I just lost all hope for Joshua and Maya.

"When's your coronation?" He asks Lucas. "Spring?"

"Early spring." He replies.

The Captain whispers something in Kila's ear. Kila looks hesitant, but then agrees.

He gets up. "Until then, you will be our guests. You'll live in the castle, and go back to Valaire in early spring."

Farkle gulps. I don't blame him. If the rumors were true...

"But...it's winter." Caroline says. Lord, what was she doing?!

Kila looms pissed off. "Will that be a problem?!" He booms.

Caroline takes a step back. "No." She squeaks.

What an upgrade. From prisoner to 'guest'. Don't blame me for not trusting the guy.

"Elijah." He says to the captain. Huh. So that was his name. "Take them to the guest rooms. Make sure they don't try to escape."

It's not like we know the way home anyways.

A weight settles in my chest when I realize I don't even know where home is anymore.

The Captain - Elijah - leads us out of the room and up a set of stairs.

The rooms are smaller, but I'm glad. Makes me feel less lonely.

And finally, a proper bed.

"You're free to roam the castle." He says. "But don't even think about escaping. Their are guards watching every single gate."

When he's gone, I flop on the bed. Sleep doesn't consume me, and I'm left feeling flustered. What happens when this all ends? Was I enough of an optimist to believe everything would be fine?

Lunch is brought to me at around one. A servant girl enters, her head bowed.

I almost don't notice the fact that she has a huge scar on her face.

"Thank you." I'm a little surprised. The girl, however, is more. She nods politely and leaves.

My first instinct is to check the food for poison. But Kila needed us. Alive.

Half an hour later, another maid comes to collect the plate.

I don't dare go out of my room. Was I stupid to assume myself scared? Of the outcome?

Caroline bursts into my room around three hours later. I had just started the fire, but the small wisp had flickered, then dwindled out.

Caroline looks... well. Lucas had told her that we overheard her conversation with Farkle in the ship and that's how we knew.

"Well I don't want to go back." She shakes her head furiously.

I frown, standing up and walking over to her. I place my hands on her arms. "Caroline." I say gently. "You're saying you don't want to go back to your family?"

Tears pool into her eyes. "They're not my family. Not after what they did." She tries to shake off her emotions, but they're there, vivid and real. "And they lied about it, Riley!" She sobs.

She's telling the truth. They're horrible excuses for parents, but...

"Your parents love you." I answer. "Just try talking--"

"No." She says determinately. She wipes her tears away. "I'm done talking."

"What are you going to do? Join Kila's army." That thought alone is ridiculous. But judging by Caroline's expression, maybe not to her.

She walks away without another word, closing the door behind her.

What did I just do?

I sigh, going over to the bookshelves and picking out a book. I've read this one already - it's one of our three ancient books - but read it again anyways.

It's almost dark, and I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep without its warmth.

"Need help?" Lucas is leaning by the door.

I look at him, then back at the fire. I rest my hands on my waist. "I got this."

Lucas smirks. "No you don't."

He walks over to where I am, and picks up two dead twigs. Rubbing them together, he starts the fire.

"There you go." He says when he sees smoke erupting from the pile of wood.

I sit down on the rug by the fireplace and warm my hands. He sits down next to me.

I can tell he's worried about the situation, so I try to change his mind.

"You know, in all of this...we've never really got to know each other."

He leans against the leg of a chair. "Okay. Shoot."

I think for a minute, pursing my lips. "What's your favourite colour?"

"Way to dig deep." He says sarcastically. "That's like asking what I would want for dinner."

"What would you want?" I ask dryly.

"Rice." He smiles.

The rug is soft so I don't blame him when he lies down. "With a side of Riley."

I crinkle my nose. "That was so cheesy."

He chuckles. "I didn't hear a no."

"Want to?" I stick my tongue out playfully.

He props himself up. When I look at him, he's already staring back.

For a minute, neither of us say anything. It's rare and special, this moment. Only the two of us to share, with no guards, no leaders to tell us what to do.

It's almost normal.

The he leans in and kisses me.


	27. Chapter 27

A/N : Happy Holidays!!

He pulls me closer until I'm sitting almost sitting in his lap.

His hands rest on my waist. His kisses turn urgent, and he slams his hard body onto mine, a loud moan reverberating in the air.

His arms wrap around me and I bring my hands up to his hair, knotting it in my fingers.

I was sinking, and I had no desire to resurface. This is what I had craved. Somebody who would evoke these feeling in me - not of lust or pleasure, but of love.

Slowly, our kisses turn softer and sweeter.

"Riley." He groans out. "What are you doing to me?"

I can't help laugh. After everything, this was what he was worried about.

I kiss him on the cheek. "Don't worry." I say with a chuckle. "I'm tired anyways." I don't even need to fake a yawn.

"Remember how I said I needed a side of Riley for dinner?" He raises his eyebrow suggestively.

I push him back and get up. I hold my arm out and he grabs it, using it to haul himself up.

"You're not going to your room?" I ask him when he follows me to the bed.

"Not unless you want me too."

I climb into bed, and scoot to the side to give him space. He gets in and I pull the sheets up to my shoulders.

I roll onto my side towards him. He loops an arm around me so he has me caged in.

"I wish we were back already."

"Do you... do you really want to go back?"

He brings his hand up to my hair and starts playing with it. "Well, yeah. It's my home. Don't you?"

I shrug. "I guess I'm not ready to meet my father yet."

He entwines our fingers together. I press my face into his chest. He smells like forest and smoke.

"We'll figure it out together."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Even he couldn't deny the truth - who knew what was going to happen in the future?

But so much had happened already and he always stood by me.

The next morning, I go to see Kila. It's not hard to find out where he is, at least, that's what I thought.

Turns out he's not in the throne room. Or the commons. Or even his bed chambers.

I go back to my room, where Lucas is still on my bed, looking like he just woke up.

"Hey." He greets in a raspy voice, blinking up at me.

"No time." I say. I grab my cloak.

He frowns and gets up, grabbing my arm gently. "Want to tell me what's going on?"

"Today's Monday!" I yell.

"Um, yeah. I know that. So?"

"Monday's when the last ship leaves to Mistell."

He sighs. "Riley, you heard their leader. They're not going to let us go until--"

"I'm not talking about us." U shake my head. "Do you remember the other prisoner?"

His eyebrows pull together as he tries to concentrate. "Zay? What about him?"

"If we convince Kila to let him go, he could tell my father we're alright."

"And your father would give word to mine." He breathes.

I make my way out of my room and down the stairs, to the main gate with Lucas by my side.

At the gate, a dozen guards stand on duty.

"We can't let you pass." One says in a gruff voice. "You know the rules."

I'm tempted to scream. Seriously.

"Where's your leader?" Lucas asks.

"He's at the village commons." Another one answers. "Why?"

"We're just going to see him."

The last ship left at noon. If we waited for him to come back, we wouldn't have time.

"I'll go with them." A guard says. He's built is all muscle, and even if we tried to escape, we wouldn't get very far.

The guards hesitantly agree and open the gate. A rush of cold air greets us.

"No tricks." Says the guard. "Or the shackles come back on."

None of us answer. I wrap my arms around myself. Light rain is falling, but the ground is already muddy.

The guard takes us to the village commons, where a tent is set up in the middle.

Not many people are well...anywhere. Where is everybody? Besides a couple of people in the marketplace, and a few training for battle in the open ground, everyone seems to sleeping.

Or nonexistent.

We're led inside the tent, where Kila sits with four of his ministers. As soon as he sees us, he lets out an irritated groan.

"What do you want?"

He motions for the others to leave, which they do, until it's only us and him and the guard.

"We want you to free one of the prisoners."

He gets up with a fierce scowl. "It hasn't even been two days and you're already making demands." He crosses him arms. "Why would I free the prisoner?"

"Because he can get word to Mistell." I say. "He can tell my father we're fine, and he could stop the armies or any further battle plans that would result in losses for your people."

His eyes are fixed on me. He's interested, I can tell.

"Can you guarantee that?"

Lucas nods. "We trust him."

Kila narrows his eyes. "Fine." He says. "I'll get the guards to put him on the ship."

For a second I want to thank him before I remember he's the guy that kidnapped us.

He walks out of the tent, and we're left with the guard.

"C'mon." Lucas takes my hand after the guard gives us a menacing look.

He takes me outside, and again, the cold makes me shiver.

We hear a sharp cry. And it's achingly familiar.

My head whips around. At the training grounds, the Captain stands next to Caroline, a sword held to her throat.

Lucas curses. He rushes over to them. "Let her go." He threatens.

The other few people who have been training stop and watch.

Elijah steps back. Caroline is kneeling in the mud, coughing.

"What's going on here?" The guard yells. "Back to the castle, the two of you."

Lucas scowls at him. He's not going to move.

"Lucas." Caroline gasps. She calms down and gets up on shaking legs. Her hair is wet, and mud stains her face. "It's okay."

"Like hell it is." He yells.

She takes a hold of her brother's arm. "He was training me. I was the one who--"

"He was what?!" Lucas narrows his eyes. If I'm not mistaken, they're filled with anger.

"You know what? Continue. I don't care."

He yanks his hand back and storms to the castle.

Caroline throws me a desperate look.

"Don't worry." I sigh. "I'll talk to him."

I run to catchup with him. His strides are fast, and it proves to be a challenge.

"Lucas. Stop." I say.

He doesn't.

"Lucas!"

I grab his sleeve, forcing him to stop. "Leave me alone." He sulks.

"No." I say. "I get it. I would be upset too, but--"

"But what?!"

I clench my fists. He's not making this any easier. Instead of getting angry, I try counting to ten.

"She doesn't have the same relationship you do with your father. She's taking this differently than you are."

"She's betraying her people."

Lord, all she did was train.

"Calm down." I tell him. "It was just one training session."

"It don't like that captain guy." He scowls.

"I know." I tell him. "But that doesn't change the fact that we're stuck here."

His shoulders rise and fall. "You're right." He finally says.

He's just about to pull me into a hug when I hear somebody coming from the other hallway.

I push him back. "Hey!" He says defensively.

But I don't reply, because a figure emerges from the shadows.

The girl is around our age, dressed in a royal gown. Flowers decorate her hair. She's pretty.

But she also has tear stains on her face. Her eyes are red and blotchy.

She wipes her eyes and when she sees us.

Facing the other way, she walks away.

"Was that--" I ask Lucas.

Her face looked a lot like Kila's. If I didn't know anyway better, I would say they were siblings.

"That's the girl your brother is supposed to marry."


	28. Chapter 28

Days in the castle are slow, mostly cold and consist of fires and soup.

Lucas and I spend some time together when we can, but he's mostly with Farkle. Caroline is out training or God knows doing what.

There's change in her, I can tell. She's become fierce. Well, fiercer than she was anyways.

We heard Zay was let go a couple of days ago. I wrote a letter to my father explaining out situation, and he promised he would give it to him.

This morning, I go to the courtyard where I know Kila's sister is. We've been exchanging a few pleasantries every now and then, but so far, I haven't spoken to her about the wedding.

"Hello." I smile at her when I see her. She's on the ground, a wilting flower in her hand.

"Hi." She says to me.

"May I join you?"

She looks around, then nods. I join her, sitting on the dying grass with my legs crossed.

She has dark hair, midnight black. Northern feathers - a slim face, full brows and long eyelashes. She's beautiful.

"Winter here is harsh." She sighs, motioning to the dying flower. Wow, she reminded me of Maya. They may not look similar, but they have the same caring personalities.

"So I've heard."

"You're not used to it?"

I shake my head. "It doesn't get this cold in Mistell."

I pull my shawl tighter around my shoulders.

"Guess I better get used to that."

My shoulders sink. The way she says it, it's almost like she's forced to marry my brother.

Which she is, but...

"Can I ask you something?"

She looks up at me expectantly.

"Why we're you crying the other day?"

She laughs humorlessly. "You weren't supposed to see that."

I put my hand on her shoulder. "It's okay."

Her eyes lower to the ground. Nervously, she starts picking at the grass.

"That day that you came... marked my parent's fourth death anniversary."

"Oh." I blink. I didn't know what to say. It was one thing for your parents to be so far away, it was a whole other thing for them to well...pass away.

"If I leave... I feel like I'll leave them behind." She says sadly. "But my brother's forcing me to marry Joshua and..."

She sighs.

I'm not over the whole Maya-Joshua thing, but I don't see how things could change now.

"Don't worry." I say to her. "Joshua's a really nice guy." This isn't the first time I've lied, believe me. "And handsome too."

Ew. Did I just call my brother...? No.

"Who is?" A voice asks from behind us. Footsteps alert us to Lucas and Farkle's presence. They take a seat on a bench besides the grass. Farkle has a book in his hand.

Lucas raises an eyebrow. "You better not be calling other guys handsome cuz--"

"My brother." I cut him off.

He let's out a relieved breath.

"What's that?" Kila's sister points to the book in Farkle's hand.

"It's a copy of one of the three ancient books." Says Farkle. "Did you know the Northern tribes were once at peace with our kingdoms? In fact, most of our people were ones who migrated from the North."

She nods. "And some still do. Or at least try to. They don't get very far."

Lucas nods. "Strict border patrol."

A maid comes scurrying down into the garden and with one look, Kila's sister gets up.

"I'm sorry, I have to go." She says. She gets up and follows the maid into the downstairs hallway.

I get up too, and take a seat next to Lucas on the bench. Lucas automatically loops his arm around my waist and clasps my hand.

I grin up at him. "What have you been upto?"

"Nothing much." He says. "Saw Caroline training with the Captain, all covered in blood and mud, then we went to--"

"What?! Is she okay?"

He shrugs. "Not like I care."

Farkle rolls his eyes. "What he means to say is that she's fine, and he's just scared because she's growing up and..."

Lucas throws him a pissed off look which immediately makes him shut up.

We see another maid coming towards us. She scurries on her little legs, with an expression that might make some believe she just saw a ghost.

"Our leader is waiting for you." She says timidly. It takes me a minute to figure out who that is. Kila, right.

"Great Hall?" Asks Lucas. She nods. He gets up, pulling me up too. Farkle tucks his book under his arm and throws us a disgusted look.

"I think I liked you two better when you hated each other."

"Who says I don't hate him now?" I snicker. Lucas looks offended.

"A little less after this?" He asks.

And then ladies and gentlemen, the Crown Prince of Valaire leans in and kisses my cheek.

"A little." I say, my cheeks burning.

He chuckles. "Nice to know I have that effect on you."

The maid leads us to the great Hall, where Kila is seated on his throne. He's arguing with his sister, and she looks close to tears.

He quiets after he sees us. "We're headed to Mistell. All of you included." He says to us at once.

"What? Why?" Farkle asks. All three of us are equally shocked.

"You're going home. The wedding has been moved to three days from now."

I don't know whether to be sad or ecstatic.

"When are we leaving?" Asks Lucas.

"In three hours." Says Kila. "Now go and pack up."

Wow he says that like we actually came to his castle with suitcases.

Nevertheless, we do so. Walking out of the great Hall, we're just about to turn right to the main corridor when I hear a laugh.

It's Caroline and the Captain, and they're heading straight this way.

I hear Lucas stiffen besides me. Cursing, he gets over it and storms towards his sister.

The Captain immediately steps in front of Caroline, as if shielding her.

Boy had things escalated between them.

Lucas grits his teeth. "She's my sister." He growls out.

Caroline purses his lips. She steps away from the Captain, turning to Lucas.

"Do you know we're going to Mistell?" Says Lucas. "Three hours."

She nods. "I do." She says it quietly, like the calm before a storm.

He grabs her arm. "Then you need to--"

She pulls away from his grasp. "No." She says. "I don't need to do anything. You know what, Lucas?! You're acting just like father!"

Lucas clenches his fist. Before any more damage can be done, Farkle steps in between them.

"Finish it up." He says. "Carol, just go and get ready, we'll meet you--"

"No." She cuts him off, taking a step back.

"I'm not coming."


	29. Chapter 29

"What do you mean you're not going?!" Lucas hisses.

He turns to the Captain. "You talked her into this, didn't you?!"

Now, even he looks pissed. "On the contrary, I didn't know about it." He says, shooting Caroline a strange look.

Before any punches can land, Kila comes through the hallway on his way downstairs, and stops upon seeing us.

"What's going on here?" He booms.

The Captain steps forward. "The Princess doesn't seem to want to leave to go to Mistell." There's a note of urgency in his voice.

Kila looks around. The corners of his mouth turn up, and I can't help thinking that he's just come up with an idea.

"Elijah, you're coming too, am I right?"

The Captain's eyes widen, like he was asked that for the first time. "If my presence is required." He answers.

"It is." Says Kila. He turns to Caroline. "There. Now that Elijah is coming, you've got no one to train you, therefore no reason to stay here."

"You don't understand--"

"And I don't want to." He says impatiently. "Leaving you here would mean more trouble that bringing you along, you pesky little insect." He then motions for his guards, and they follow him downstairs.

"Did he just call me a..."

"Yeah." Farkle manages a smile. "C'mon." He drags Caroline away.

The Captain turns on his heel and heads the other way, so it's just the two of us.

"Lucas." I say calmly. He's still distressed, and tempting him would not do either of us any good.

He looks up at me, his eyes are strangely full of hurt. "Am I really turning out to be my father?"

I shake my head. He would never be like him. Lucas was strong, compassionate. Lucas was fair in his reasoning, even though it might not seem like it at first.

I step forward and let my arms hug him around his waist, pulling him closer to my body. Slowly, he wraps his arms around me too.

"I don't want to be like him." He says. "More than anything..."

"You're better than that." I say.

"But he's my father, Riles." He sighs. "As much as I want to dislike him, I can't."

I look up into his eyes. They're duller than usual, the result of sleepless nights.

Now that I notice, he does look a little paler.

I squeeze his hand. "Hey, I get it."

He squeezes back. "You have no idea how much it helps that you're besides me on this. I'm glad I came with you."

I nod. "And now we're heading back."

"Everything's going be fine." He says go himself, trying to convince us both. I repeat it like a mantra in my head.

It's going to be fine.

It's going to be fine.

It's going to be fine.

Eventually, I go to my room and pack the few stuff the servants were kind enough to give me, and meet Lucas and Farkle outside.

Soon enough, we're joined by Kila's sister, Caroline and the Captain. Then Kila comes with a few guards and we make the long journey from the castle to the beach, via the forest.

It isn't that bad this time. Maybe the fact that we're on horseback helps, bit even the weather is clear, even though it's still very cold, and the ground is dry.

The ship waits for us by the beach. The guards keep a wary eye on us, but there's no point in doing so, knowing we won't try to escape this time.

I mean, Caroline would, but the only person she listens to nowadays is the Captain.

We board the ship, and Kila is nice enough to give us a room this time. Only difference is, this room is much too small for four people, the only difference being the fact that it contains a bed.

"Guys?" Farkle says. "I don't think we should tell anyone of what we learnt."

Caroline narrows her eyes. She's braided her hair like Kila's sister does and looks furious.

"And let them rule over the--"

"He's right." Says Lucas. "We need a plan."

"What do you mean?!" She half-shrieks. "Your coronation is in spring. Spring. Surely by then--"

"If his father finds out we know, there will be no coronation." Farkle says.

If looks could kill, Farkle would be deep underground by now. "Stop. Cutting. Me. Off!" Caroline hisses.

I take a hold of her arm. Why must I always be the mediator?

"He's right." I try to reason with her, telling her all the things her father would do to the tribes if he found out.

Eventually, she understands.

The ship rocks back and forth. Lucas leaves once to talk to Kila, and by the look on his face when he returns, I'm guessing things went well.

It's around evening when we arrive in Mistell. The busy people chattering at the docks, the sound of clacking metal and the smell of the sea overloads my senses, and I'm happy.

We get off, where my brother and my father are waiting for us, escorted by two guards.

I run up to Joshua and let him swing me around, once then twice. He let's me go with a big grin.

"I'm glad you're alive and all." He says. "Even though I would prefer you dead."

Kila's eyes narrow on hearing this, but I tell him it's only a joke. Apparently, the Northern people don't have a sense of humor.

I move out of the way to let Kila's sister meet my brother.

Biting her lip nervously, she curtsies. I can't help think how adorable it is, even at the back of my mind, I know its wrong.

With one look from out father, Joshua bows back.

"I'm Julietta" She says.

"Joshua." He scratches the back of his head nervously.

Who could blame him? I mean he did just meet his future wife.

The carriage ride to the castle is very awkward. The carriage itself is big, enough to seat four peeple.

I sit wedged between Caroline and Lucas, glaring at each other like they were about to start fighting right here.

After a while, Lucas looked away. He didn't talk, didn't say anything. His focus was on the fields outside, although I doubt grass would be more interesting to him than he made it appear.

We arrived at the castle, where mother and Maya were waiting for us. Maya crushed me into a hug.

"I'm glad you're not dead."

"Huh, that's what everyone keeps saying."

She smiles, although I can tell it doesn't reach her eyes. When she sees Julietta, she bows to her with gritted teeth and eyebrows pulled together.

She's not angry. She's frustrated. Very, Very frustrated.

But there was a thin line in the middle, and I was sure that if she had to spend the next 24 hours arranging her own lover's wedding to somebody else, she might cross it.

I go up to my room and a warm feeling makes it way up my stomach at all the memories and the familiarity of each and every single thing.

After a short nap, I wake up to find the sun already gone.

Changing clothes, I walk out of the room and into the upstairs corridor, eager to get word to father before dinner. No doubt Kila would be joining us.

I'm just about to turn the corner when a rough hand slams into my mouth, pushing me against the wall.

I start thrashing, trying to get control over the person holding me there.

"Shh.." he murmurs. My heart heart calms down when I recognise the voice. And those eyes. It's Lucas.

"What are we...?" He puts his finger to his lips, asking me to keep silent.

I purse my lips, looking around.

Then I hear voices.

"Of course I want to marry you!" Joshua is whispering. "But I don't have much of a choice here!"

"You always have a choice." Maya seems pissed. As they pass by, Lucas pushes his body onto mine, wedging me between him and the wall.

"What do you want me to do?! Run away with you?"

"If that's what it takes."

"Maya..."

"Don't blame me. I can't help hating her, she's your betrothed. I'm just the servant girl."

"No... don't say that." He sighs in frustration. "What do you want me to do?"

"Run away with me."

"Hey u didn't actually mean--"

"I'm serious." She says.

Are my ears ringing? Does she actually want to run away with him?

Everything we've worked for - it would all be for nothing if the wedding is off. Kila won't trust us anymore.

When they're down the stairs, Lucas releases his grip on me.

I allow myself a moment to think about this rationally.

"I'll talk to them after dinner." I tell him. "Explain that it's wrong."

"They're in love." He says to me. "They don't care about kingdoms, about royalty. Just each other."

I look up at him and frown. "Excuse me?"

He shrugs. "It's true."

"Everything we've done--"

"Is for Kila." He completes determinately. "For a minute, stop and think about other people."

Wow, did he just say that to me? I was thinking of everybody else. That's why this alliance is important to me.

"This is all Kila's fault." He says. "Not Mistell's, not Valaire's."

I back away from him. He was still hell-bent on proving that his country was innocent, even though it wasn't. Even I have internalised the fact that my father helped King Arden. Was it that hard to believe?

"I don't know what you're saying." I say, shaking my head furiously.

"Riley, I.." he extends his hand, trying to find mine.

"No." I say. I take a few more steps back until I'm at the foot of the stairs. "I don't want to hear it."

I turn my back and walk down the stairs. The pendulum at the end of the hall displays the time. It was three minutes to dinner.

"Hello." Julietta greets me warmly.

"Hey." I answer meekly. "You sure do seem happy."

She bites her lip, trying to hide a smile. "I...I'm excited?"

"Really? All you've seen of Mistell so far are plains and fields, but if you--"

She slaps my arm lightly. "No. Excited for the wedding."

"Oh." I blink. "So you like my brother?'

She nods. "He seems really nice."

If only she knew. Poor girl.

Her smile suddenly gets wider. "I also want to show you something!"

"What is it?"

She grabs my hand, pulling me towards the backdoor, which leads to the garden.

"Um, it's almost dinner time and..."

"We can skip a few minutes." She says. I follow her out into the courtyard. The air is cold and wet, the only light coming from a few lamps my mother hung up long ago.

"I didn't know, I mean... but I followed them, because I was curious and I just..."

"What afore you talking about?"

She stops and points to the nearest tree.

More specifically, the two people under the tree.

Caroline and the Captain. And they were kissing.

For a few minutes, I stood there gawking like an idiot, speechless for words.

"Does anybody else know?" I ask.

"No." She shakes her head.

"Good." I say in a low voice. God knew what Lucas would do if he found out.

Dinner bells are already ringing, so we walk back quietly into the hallway, slipping into the room where everybody is having dinner.

I turn around after closing the door to find Julietta staring back at the guests with wide eyes.

I follow her gaze to the dinner table. Sitting at the front, next to my father, is King Arden.

"How lovely to see you again." He says when he sees me.

I mutter out a 'likewise' and as politely as I can, ask him why he's here.

"King Arden and I have some important business to discuss." My father tells me. Lucas and Farkle have taken their seats too.

My mother gestures at two empty chairs. Julietta and I take our seats.

We've just started dinner, but it's already getting tense. King Arden can't go two minutes without throwing Kila a certain look, or making hidden remarks, most of them negative.

Julietta is getting angry too. I try to calm her down, telling her it's not worth getting upset over.

The doors open again, and this time, it's Caroline and Elijah.

King Arden gets up from his seat. He glares at the two of them, and I can't help wonder if Lucas has told him anything. Glancing at Lucas, I find that his gaze has lowered.

"Father!" Caroline blinks. She obviously didn't know he was coming here too.

"Caroline." He says in an unamused voice. His features show intense disapproval, but he doesn't say anything.

Caroline and her father sit on opposite ends, Caroline choosing to ignore him.

I can hardly enjoy my bread, or any chicken for that matter. The air is thick with silence, and the only people not noticing is perhaps my parents.

One of my father's messengers comes rushing in by the time half of us are done, and whispers something in my father's ears.

My father immediately gets up.

"Something has come up." He says. "Please excuse me."

My father leaves, and my mother follows his out.

Once they're gone, King Arden turns to Kila.

"Your sister is quite something." He says.

Oh god, please don't start here.

I take a laboured breath. Things didn't need to get any worse.

Kila nods wordlessly. I kick Lucas's leg, silently asking him to change the topic.

He doesn't.

"Too bad she's not getting married anytime soon."

My fork drops.

What did he just say?

How did he even find out?!

"What?!" Kila hisses.

"Oh, didn't you hear?" He asks. "Her betrothed fancies another."

Caroline stands up quicker than lightning. "How do you know that?"

I catch him winking at Lucas. "I have my ways." He tells Caroline. "And you, my dear, have turned your back on your people." He tuts. "Downright shameful, don't you think."

In a flash, the Captain is by her side. He grabs her arm, murmuring something in her ear.

She drops the spoon she clenched in her hand a few seconds ago.

It drops to the floor with a clank, and that little sound signals something much bigger.

Farkle looks at me desperately. He's trying to tell me something, but I can't figure it out.

I look at him, shaking my head. He mouths the word again.

Trap.

King Arden produces a sword from his side and unsheathes it.

"Guards!" I scream as loud as I can.

The King's smile sends dread to my stomach.

"They're with your father. Far, far away."

No. It's something worse than dread. Three of his guards surround us, already armed.

"Lucas please--"

"Your Prince Charming won't help you, darling." He says. "In fact, he was never yours to begin with. A little plan of ours, to woo the princess." His eyes flicker between us. "I'm guessing it worked."

My heart heart increases as if my heart wasn't beating fast already.

Lucas's betrayal.

It was all a game.

I look at him desperately, silently asking him to tell me this isn't true.

He doesn't.

In three short strides, the guards corner each of us, ready to make a move if necessary.

I want to say something to Lucas, make his stop it but I can't even bring myself to face him right now.

The King walks over to Elijah, who's unfairly unarmed.

"This is an act of treason." Says Farkle. "If Riley's father ever found out--"

"What Mistell's King will find out," says King Arden. "Is that Kila here, attacked us. Who do you think he would believe?"

Why doesn't this surprise me? Of course my father would believe Arden.

A piece of metal glinting in the light catches my eye. I glance over at the table to see a silver knife next to a plate.

Well, it's better than nothing.

Slowly backing to the table, I pick up the knife just as King Arden aims for Elijah's throat. Elijah tries to fight back, but the king does have advantage oover him. Caroline cries out, and Lucas yells for him to stop.

In the moment of panic and anger, I don't even think twice. I pull my arm back and throw the knife as hard as I can, straight at King Arden.

He goes plunging back, losing his grip on the sword. I intended to hit in straight in the chest, but instead the knife makes its way into his arm.

"Seize her!" He yells, blood already soaking his royal garments.

The guards tun towards me, immediately binding my hands together.

I cry out on frustration, tears blurring my vision as I struggle from their grasp, but to no avail.

"No! Let me go!" I shriek.

Farkle grabs a candlestand and smacks it on one of the guards' head. Caroline's weapon is a fork.

But even if they try, they're outnumbered. Everyone watches is horror as I'm dragged out of the room and down the musty stairs.

Straight into the dungeon.

I'm muffled and my feet are tied with rope.

They throw me into one the cells and lock the gate, immediately leaving.

I shake the gates as hard as I can, ignoring the shooting pains in my body. After a while, I give up and sit back, alone and defeated.

As tears make their way down my face, unmasked, raw tears, I realise I'm more upset by the fact that someone I thought I trusted actually betrayed me.

And I wasn't talking about King Arden.

A/N : extraaaa long chapter. review :)


	30. Chapter 30

There comes a moment when you break. After holding it in for so long, it takes a second for all of it to rip apart.

I don't think I've cried this hard in my entire life.

And I try to tell myself I'm not being desperate. That I don't deserve to cry over this.

But desperation isa powerful thing.

I don't sleep that night. I can't, knowing what he did.

And what's worse is the fact that I forgive him in a heartbeat. But that hard part comes afterwards - trying to forget.

When something bad happens, I immediately try to suck it out. That's what most people do. Pretend it doesn't happen, when deep inside they know it does.

It's like a blown up balloon, and you just keep blowing it and blowing it until it finally bursts.

And then you refuse to acknowledge that it exists it all.

The moment keeps replaying in my brain, over and over. I try to forget, at least for the night, but my brain won't let me.

And I cry for all of the souls who have been misguided and lost. I cry for the innocent people who died because they didn't want a war in the first place.

They say your scars make you stronger.

What if you didn't want them to exist in the first place?

Because if I could go back to the moment it all began, I would have changed every single freaking thing.

I dont deserve this. He doesn't deserve this. This war, it's taken too much from us. We don't know whether we're right or wrong, but that doesn't matter either.

In the end, you're either dead or alive. There's not much difference, really.

When my brain has tried the hardest, to block it all out, I shut down. It's strange. One moment I'm crying. The next I refuse to acknowledge my existence at all.

I spend the night on my cold hard ground. It's cold, but I'm not shivering anymore. It's emotionally painful, but I don't care.

My only company are the fires burning ferociously in their torches outside my cell. Not a guard in sight. Not even a prisoner.

On every single wall, there are all these ancient drawings and cravings. I stare at them until I feel my eyes ache.

By the time dawn comes around, I hear footsteps. They're hushed, hurried footsteps.

Then voices.

It's him.

"Have you got the key?"

"Yes, give me minute."

"Hurry up!"

"Calm down...there, I've got it."

With a clank, the door opens. Out of curiosity, I get up on my feet and observe them.

"Riley, we need to get out of here." His voice is urgent. His eyes soft. His hand grabs my elbow, gently pulling me towards the door. He's a tornado, filling all my thoughts.

I snap out of it. I don't like his grip, so I yank my arm back.

"We need to get out of here, Riles." Says Farkle. "Kila's dead."

My head snaps to him. "It's true." He continues. "And Arden is about to send word to the Northern tribes. He's itching for a fight."

Lucas looks at me, long and hard. He let's out a laboured breath when he realises how much I had been crying because of the tear stains, and his fingers softly brush up against my cheek.

A lump forms in my throat, and I try my hardest not to react. Slowly, I push his hand away too.

My eyes linger between the both of them. "He lost it when he saw his father murder Kila." Said Farkle.

Lucas is shaking his head. "Wasn't a painless death either."

I follow the two out of my cell and into the prison halls. Rain in drumming loudly, the last of winter. A cracking of thunder rips through this sky, as if Zeus himself is angry.

On the walls, more drawings. An inuit besides a dead whale. A priest burning the witches. A three legged beast.

"We can't use the main staircase." Says Lucas. "Guards."

"Is there any other way out?" Farkle asks me.

True, I had lived in the castle since a baby. However, I had never been in the dungeons.

They take my silence as a no.

"I think there maybe another old staircase by the garden." Says Farkle. "By calculating the width, I think we could find another staircase besides the back of the castle, next to the garden, and..."

He drones on. Our brisk walk changes into a run until we come to a fork road in about two hundred or so metres.

"Where to now?" Lucas asks. I can tell he's already frustrated. The grip on his dagger is making his knuckles turn pale.

I look around wordlessly. My eyes widen as they see one of the ancient carvings.

It's a lion. More specifically, a three - clawed lion.

I point in that direction. I don't know how I know, but what other chance did we have?

And soon enough, we reach the stairs. They're old and crumbling, never been used before.

As we step up to start climbing, Lucas offers to help twice. I reject him both times.

I was done with him and his games. Atleast for now, I was tired.

We reach the top, and discover that the staircase not only leads inside the castle, but is situated in the corner of the throne room.

Which, luckily, happens to be the room King Arden is in right now.

Farkle smooths our his clothes and passes me a small smile. Without another word, he walks straight out.

The King is busy signing parchments, so be doesn't see him straight away.

"Your Majesty," he bows a little. "I have news."

King Arden straightens up and sits back. "What kind of news?"

Farkle indiscreetly looks around. "Perhaps, a more private venue..."

King Arden follows his gaze to the guards. "Leave." He commands to them.

Not only was Farkle distracting the King, but he was also getting rid of the other smaller obstacles.

Meanwhile, Lucas digs into his pocket and fishes out something. He holds it out to me. The same knife I tried to kill his father with today, and it's sitting on top of his palm.

I take it from him.

Lucas walks out, his footsteps slown and noiseless.

Before the king can even see what's going on, he plunges his dagger into his chest, deliberately missing his heart.

The King yells as loud as he can.

The doors burst open, and three guards run up to us. Good. I've been itching for a fight.

I pull my arm back and throw the knife as hard as I can. This time, it doesn't miss its target.

It's no fair fight. We win anyways.

Mistell's guards soon take over. I'm breathing hard and ragged, and the thought of what I did finally comes to realisation in my mind.

I don't regret anything.

The King is carried to a spare room, where a doctor has been called from the village.

He's not dead. Atleast not yet.

When my father comes back, he can decide what he wants to do with him.

Lucas calls me. I fight the temptation to answer him. Instead, I make my way to Julietta's room.

That girl, she's lost so much. First her parents, now her only brother.

I find her on the bed, crying her eyes out. I walk up to her, and without another word, she places her head on my shoulder.

She cries herself to sleep.

A/n : I had to rewrite this ENTIRE chapter again cuz it got deleted. Screw my life.

I'M GOING TO TELL U A STORY NOW SO PLEASE REMAIN IN YOUR SEATS.

It's 2014, and I'm sitting on my bed against the window, wrapped up in blankets. It's raining heavily outside. I grab the remote and switch on the TV, and these two are in the library, staring at each other, lovestruck.

And dang, I think I fell in love with show.

Here we are, three years later. What a roller coaster this has been. Girl meets world taught me so much, and I made so many new friends. (cough, Belle) and I really do hope it gets picked up.

But guys, how amazing was that finale? I feel like if they were going to make a season 4, then Riley should have moved to England and they could start with her returning. But the ending was really nice. That Rucas scene melted my heart 3

Hold on guys, only two more chapters of this book left.


	31. Chapter 31

The next few days are a royal mess. My parents return, and upon hearing what happened, immediately call a truce with the Northern Tribes.

My father, he's smart. His anger doesn't lead us to war. Instead, King Arden is placed in confinement, and the news has broken out of Lucas's coronation. Three weeks from now.

I, meanwhile, refuse to speak to anybody. It's not that I don't want to. I just that I feel like there's no need.

Maya and Caroline are constantly worried about me. That I've had a traumatic brain injury or something, so that I can't communicate.

Oh I can communicate alright, just not with words.

Julietta understands what I'm going through. It might not be as bad as her situation, but she's there for me when I need her, and I'm very thankful for that.

Lucas is another story. More than everyone else, he tries to talk to me, or tries to get me to listen. Which is why avoiding him is the hardest.

But come the next week, staying away from human company is next to impossible.

Outside the throne room, Julietta holds her head high.

"Ready?" She asks me.

I nod.

We enter the room, where my parents have reclaimed their thrones. Mother looks at me worriedly, but I don't care, so neither should she. "I've decided I want to go back and take my brother's place." Julietta announces.

Maya and Joshua who are also in ghe room look at each other, surprised.

"The marriage..?" My father stumbles.

"Will not be happening." She says in a clear voice. She turns her head to my brother and the girl he loves.

"The last thing I would want is to come between those two." She says.

My mother sighs. "Atleast we have one wedding to look forward to." she says, looking at me expectantly.

Suddenly, I don't know what to do. Now that Joshua can take over Mistell, they have no use for me here.

But that would mean marrying Lucas. And I'm not even ready to face him again.

But he found redemption. My inner voice is trying to tell me.

For the moment, I tell it to go away.

Wordlessly, I run out of the throne room.

It's hard knowing I had no influence on his life when he had so much in mine.

It's also hard realizing he doesn't care about me as much as I cared for him.

Tears spring in my eyes, hot, wet tears. And I hate myself for it. I hate myself for crying like someone who lost their most important possession.

But he was never mine.

Outside, I don't know where I'm running. I abruptly turn a corner and smack right into somebody.

I go flailing back. With a jolt, I discover it's Lucas.

Funny, huh? This was how we first met.

"I was just coming to see you." He says calmly. He takes a step forward and puts his hands on my arms.

"Can we talk?"

I'm weak, but I still push him away. That doesn't stop him from dragging me into an empty room though. And that, he does.

"You haven't said a word since it happened." He says to me. His voice is still calm but loud at the same time. It's not an accusation, simply an observation.

Am I shaking? I think I'm shaking. I wipe my cheeks with the back of my hand. My stomach hurts so much right now.

"Don't pretend like you care." I tell him in a shaky voice. "You don't get to do that."

He looks confused. I don't let him talk. "Knowing how you feel about me doesn't change the way I feel about you." Fresh tears fall down my face. "But it's hard, don't you get it?"

"Riley, please." His hands reach for me, and I flinch away. "All I'm asking for is another chance."

"No." I'm shaking my head. "I can't do it. I can't go through with it, knowing what you did is--"

I'm screaming at him now. Screaming that I don't want him, don't want to be a part of this.

But he knows better.

Without another word, Lucas grabs my shoulders and presses me against him, leaning in and kissing me hard.

And kiss me he does.

I melt into him, realise how much I've missed this.

"No." I push him a way a little. "I'm sorry."

"Riley," he whispers, his arms snaking around my waist and leaning in so that our foreheads touch. "You can't decide based on observation."

"Im quite good at observing people, did you know that?"

He chuckles a little. "I did. But Riley, what my father told you is only a part of it. Of course I have feelings for you now, and they're stronger than ever."

"I love you, Lucas." I say. "I think I always have. But," I pause for a minute. "But I know better now."

I untangle myself from his grasp. I want to tell him I want to marry him, that I want us to have a life together.

But instead, I turn on my heel and walk away.

The same night, Farkle visits me after dinner.

"I heard you're refusing to marry Lucas." He says.

"I never said that, although..."

"You might as well have." He sits on the corner of my bed. "I'm leaving for Valaire tomorrow. Thought I should let you know something before I did."

I turn my head to him. "What is it?"

Farkle bites his lip. "Don't blame Lucas." He says. "It wasn't his fault."

"What do you mean it wasn't his fault?" I repeat. "He was the one who--"

"His father blackmailed him." He says. "The King found out about Caroline and Elijah, and threatened to tell everybody if Lucas didn't comply."

My heart starts beating erratically fast. Suddenly I feel so bad for all the things I said to him.

It wasn't his fault.

He was just trying to protect his sister.

I grab Farkle's hand and squeeze it gently. "Don't go."

He smiles. "I have to. Valaire's advisors are afraid my mother will do something. But I'll come visit you soon, that is if you decide not to marry Valaire's future king."

He winks.

"Is Lucas coming with you?"

He nods. "Things in Valaire are unstable, at the moment. He needs to go there for a few days."

I purse my lips, trying hard to think about the situation rationally.

But what's wrong with being a little selfish for once? After all, it is a human trait.

Farkle leaves, and I settle in bed, ready for the first time for a good night's sleep.

I contemplate visiting Lucas, but I don't know what to say, or how to act.

So I decide to see him in the morning before he leaves.

Only that plan doesn't work out either, because I over-sleep.

The next morning I get ready as quickly as I can, and literally run down to the breakfast table.

With a saddening surprise, I realized they've already left.

And at my usual seat on the table, I notice a little rose.

I pick it up. I can't let him go, I realize, I can't.

In a rush, I run out of the room and through the main corridor, almost tripping over a bunch of servants.

But I never fall, only stumble. By the time I make it outside, I'm happy to know they haven't left. But they're just about to.

I call out his name as loud as I can. He was smoke and wood. Passionate and ambitious.

He turns around and suddenly grins when he sees me.

I run up go him, crashing into his chest and letting him hold me until I regain my balance. And even after that.

"Somebody's has a change of mind." He whispers into my neck.

I clutch the rose as tightly as I can. I pull him closer as I entwine my arms around his neck.

"Don't go." I say.

He purses his lips. "I'm sorry, Princess, but it's only for a few days."

I don't argue further. I don't want to come across as bratty or anything.

"But when I get back...we can pick off from where we started, if you like."

I smile. "I would like that."

The carriage man calls his name. His embrace loosens.

"I love you, Princess."

This time I wasn't afraid of saying it back.

"I love you too."

Smoke and wood. Passionate and ambitious.

He leans in, his forehead touching mine. Then he kisses me, and it's sweet and long at the same time, but over within seconds.

"One day." He says, smiling into the kiss.

"One day."


	32. Epilogue

_Can we love until there's nothing left_ _And we're collecting dust?_ _Use the hell out of our golden souls_ _Until we're flecks of rust_ _A love so deep, nothing else like it_ _Scars go deep, but they can't find it_ _Flame so bright make the daylight look dark_ _Cross my heart, that I'll die for you_ _Cross my heart, that I'll always keep you_ _Cross my heart like a bitter sweet tattoo_ _Cuz you're my Kingdom come, so sit me on your throne._

 **A month and a half later.**

The music starts again, loud and cheerful. A lot of people are dancing. Husbands and wives, arm in arm, and little girls with flowers in their hair.

I catch a glimpse of Maya, and she ushers me to where she is, in the middle of all the commotion.

I shake my head no, urging her to continue without me. I'm not sad or anything, but I've saved enough.

I blow a stray hair out of my face. I see Joshua, smiling down at his newly-wed wife and taking her hand.

My parents smile at them too. By now, they've gotten over their initial surprise of their only son and heir marrying a servant's daughter. They loved him too much to be angry, and they loved Maya too.

Zay taps my shoulder. "Hey." I smile up at him.

He bows in respect. "You're happy." He narrows his eyes.

"I'm sorry if that's disappointing for you." I laugh.

"Mhm." He folds his arms. "You being happy only means you either heard from Julietta, or Lucas came back from Valaire." He pauses and prentends to look around. "And I see no Lucas, so what did Julietta say?"

I can barely contain it. I tell him everything, starting from the beginning. Although she is still mourning the loss of her brother, Julietta has taken over his place. They are in need of a leader and she hopes she will do well.

As for our alliance, it continues.

"Ice Princess." Zay whistles, bumping my arm against his. "So, wanna dance?"

I'm just about to agree when someone intrudes.

"I hope not." He says.

I turn around and I can't help grin when I see who it is.

"Lucas!" I yell, immediately running up to him and throwing my arms around him.

"Hey, Princess. " he chuckles.

"God, I missed you." I muffle into his shirt, which smells like wood and smoke, his particularly distinctive scent.

"What took you so long?" I say when I pull back.

"Complications."

Since its an outdoor wedding, the chapel has been reconstructed next to the vast garden space, a lawn running through the middle.

He takes my hand and leads away from all the commotion without asking my permission. But of course, I'm not complaining.

"What kind of complications?" I ask him as he takes my hand gently, caressing my palm.

He sits me under a tree. The weather is perfect - warm where the sun shines, cool where there is shade.

"I hope you're not mad I stole you away from all those people." He says instead.

"Absolutely not. In fact, you did me a favour."

A smile tugs at his lips. "Is that so? I should have guessed. You're not the perfect dancer."

He moves closer to me, so I'm wedged into his chest, almost sitting on his lap. He wraps his arms around me. "I've been away from you for too long." He breathes into my neck.

"Why though?" I stitch my eyebrows together. When he looks at me, my shoulders rise and fall. "Just curious."

"The country needed a leader, what with everything my father's been doing. And peace negotiations with the North are not as easy to form as they sound."

"Is Julietta...?"

"The last I heard, she was doing just fine. Working really hard, for both herself and us of course."

"What about Caroline?"

He squeezes my hand a little tighter. "Caroline misses Elijah terribly." He shakes his head, as if the very issue bothers him. "They're to be wed next year."

"Wed?!"

He pays my words no considerate attention. Instead, he kisses my hair. "Surely you knew."

"Um, no. But it's good to finally find out." I lean into him, just a little bit. "Are you okay?"

"What do you mean? I'm perfectly fine."

"No." I sigh. My head drops to his shoulder. "Are you really okay?"

He bites his lip. "Honestly, I'm tired. And my coronation hasn't even taken place yet, with all the delays and everything."

"Well." I say, looking up at him to find him staring back into my eyes. I can't resist placing a lingering kiss on his cheek. "I'll be there for you, if you want me to."

"There's nothing else I would rather want." He answers. "But with everything we've been through...not to mention the fact that you don't want to leave your family behind." his grip loosens a little.

"You're my family now." I say to him. My parents, Charlie and Noah, they'll do just fine without me.

It was time to move on.

"We'll get through it together, just like we've always done." I answer.

It's not easy.

It never will be easy.

But I have him. And right now, I feel like I can conquer the world.

"You mean that?"

I nod. "Yes."

"Well, then." He slowly untangles himself from me and I sit back, surprised for a minute until he faces me.

I realize he's kneeling.

"Will you marry me, Riley?"

It's so adorable I actually laugh.

"Where's my ring, Romeo?"

He grins. "I left it back in the guest chambers. We could go get it if you'd like..."

I roll my eyes. "Later." I say. "You were in the middle of a very important question." I urge him on.

"No, I think it's time for you to answer." He says. "Hurry up, would you? I'm not getting any younger here."

I try to hide my smile as I bend forward and wrap my arms around his neck. "Yes." I whisper.

And then I kiss him, and it's just like it always has been.

The two of us against the world.

Perfect.


End file.
